Last month, AWWA asked the EPA to consider significantly altering the objectives of the Federal EPA’s initiative. WQA and others have been working cooperatively with EPA on the WaterSense programme for water softening labelling.
In a letter to the EPA, Censky wrote that, in effect, “AWWA is asking EPA to go beyond voluntary consumer education about the water efficiency of water softeners by creating standards for dissimilar products. We see this as an attempt to significantly change the ultimate goal of the WaterSense programme.
“Ion exchange water softeners are a significant water-using appliance in the marketplace. These devices are in demand because the damage that hard water does to appliances and fixtures, and because of the added energy costs of heating hard water in homes and businesses. This demand will not change, so the purpose of the WaterSense programme is to drive increased water-use efficiency in this category of devices. To change this goal now would significantly undermine the critical progress being made.
“Voluntary consumer education promoted by EPA is a laudable goal. However, it would be inappropriate to change the objectives of this programme long after its purposes have been clearly laid out. We’re confident you will accept our position. For private/public cooperation to succeed, all sides need to understand and abide by the common goals they agree to.”
Source: Water Quality Association
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