The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) strongly supports the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Notice of Intent (NOI) to develop a WaterSense draft specification for point-of-use reverse osmosis (RO) systems.

RO systems remove water contaminants such as lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PFAs, arsenic, bacteria and viruses. Within residential settings, point-of-use RO systems typically supply treated water at the kitchen sink. These systems can also be found in commercial office spaces or kitchens.

The NOI describes the efficiency and performance criteria WaterSense is considering for point-of-use RO systems to earn the WaterSense label. WaterSense is requesting input, supporting information, and data from all interested parties on topics discussed in this NOI and otherwise related to RO systems.

"IAPMO and ASSE are pleased to see EPA's WaterSense program is considering the development of a specification for point-of-use RO systems," said IAPMO Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Services Officer Tom Palkon. "The publication of ASSE 1086, Performance Requirements for Reverse Osmosis Water Efficiency – Drinking Water, should give the specification for ROs the opportunity to utilize an American National Standard (ANS) as part of the requirements."

A true public-private partnership, WaterSense is a voluntary program that identifies efficient and high-performing water-consuming products. While EPA spends approximately $3 million a year to administer the program, it has saved consumers more than $33 billion in water and energy bills since the program's inception in 2006. The program is widely supported across the building industry and has enjoyed bipartisan support on Capitol Hill throughout its existence. This support is not only due to the program's successful outcomes, but also because of the quality and integrity of the products bearing the WaterSense label, as verified through third-party certification, subject to government oversight. This has allowed WaterSense to benefit consumers and industry alike.

Launched by EPA in January 2007, the WaterSense product-labeling program helps consumers identify high-performance, water-efficient fixtures. Products bearing the WaterSense label must not only save water, but also perform as well as or better than conventional models on the market.

IAPMO R&T has been a licensed provider of WaterSense certification since 2007, certifying the first high-efficiency toilet (HET) to the standard in April of that year. To date, IAPMO R&T has certified thousands of lavatory faucet, toilet, urinal, showerhead and weather-based irrigation controller models to the WaterSense specifications.

Interested parties can provide input to WaterSense regarding any of the issues presented in this notice by submitting written comments to watersense-products@erg.com. Comments and information on the issues presented in this NOI are welcome and will be taken into consideration as WaterSense develops a draft specification for RO systems. Additionally, EPA will host a webinar with stakeholders to discuss the RO systems NOI from 2 to 4 p.m. EST, Feb. 16.