Kohler’s Water Conservation Efforts Earn EPA WaterSense® Recognition

KOHLER, Wis., October 8, 2015 /3BL Media/ – As recognition of its efforts to develop and promote water-saving products and educate consumers on water conservation issues, Kohler Co. has earned its third Sustained Excellence Award from the Environmental Protection Agency. Kohler, the leading brand of kitchen and bath plumbing products in the U.S., has long been dedicated to producing efficient, cutting-edge products that are at the forefront of the industry. The company is currently working closely with its sales partners in water-stressed areas like California to promote upgrades of bathroom fixtures and faucets to today’s water-efficient models, which carry the EPA’s WaterSense® label.  

In 2008 the EPA named Kohler the first recipient of its WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of the Year Award.  In each year since, Kohler has earned additional recognition from the EPA, including the agency’s first two Sustained Excellence awards in 2013 and 2014.

“Kohler has encouraged water conservation since the 1970s,” said Rob Zimmerman, senior manager of sustainability. “Receiving recognition from the EPA year over year demonstrates our continuing leadership in plumbing product innovation, our commitment to initiatives like the WaterSense program, and our efforts to encourage consumers to use less water in their homes.”

The WaterSense label helps consumers identify Kohler plumbing products that use less water but still deliver the operational superiority they expect from the Kohler brand. Since WaterSense was introduced in 2006, Kohler has engineered nearly all of its toilets, bathroom faucets, urinals, and many of its showerheads to use far less water. The labels make it easy for consumers to identify and purchase products that are efficient while maintaining the performance excellence and sophisticated design for which Kohler has long been renowned.

In recognizing Kohler with this year’s award, the EPA highlighted Kohler’s efforts to address drought concerns in several water-stressed regions through a water-saving product promotional campaign with Home Depot stores in California and a project initiated by employees from Kohler’s Brownwood, Texas, plant to offer discounted products to local residents and retrofit the city hall with water-efficient products. In addition, Kohler supported the Johnson Foundation’s Charting New Waters initiative to identify solutions to protect water resources, educated consumers and building contractors at 195 events across the country through its “Trust the Flush” mobile marketing campaign, and provided WaterSense-labeled products for the Green Builder Media’s VISION House® in INNOVENTIONS at Walt Disney World’s Epcot® in Orlando, Fla., which was visited by more than 200,000 people.

“Continuing to develop efficient products and engineer new ways to protect our global water supply is a long-term project for Kohler and part of our corporate identity,” said Zimmerman. “We encourage consumers to help address water shortages that many regions are facing by taking action to decrease water use in their own homes.” 

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Blog Post:  Engineering the Path to Water Conservation

Web site: www.SaveWaterAmerica.com

About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of 32,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier furniture, cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin and St Andrews, Scotland.

Aligning with organizations and programs like EPA WaterSense, Alliance for Water Efficiency, and U.S. Green Building Council, Kohler has positioned itself as a sustainability leader in the plumbing industry with educational programs, awareness campaigns, and water-saving products. Whether specified to earn LEED® green building water-efficiency points, reducing facility operating costs, or meet homeowner needs, KOHLER water-saving fixtures and faucets are designed to conserve natural resources while remaining true to a singular quality level of performance and design. Visit KOHLER.com for information on water-saving plumbing products or believe.kohler.com for stories on Kohler's sustainability mission.

For media materials, please visit kohler.com/press.

About WaterSense

WaterSense, the EPA’s voluntary public-private partnership program, seeks to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs and practices. Since the program began in 2006, WaterSense has saved Americans over 1.1 trillion gallons of water and $21.7 billion in water and energy bills.