I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3248 
To encourage water efficiency. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 14, 2017 
Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. 
BROWNLEY of California, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. GRIJALVA, 
Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
PETERS, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POLIS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. 
THOMPSON of California, Mr. TONKO, Ms. TSONGAS, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, 
Mr. WELCH, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. TED LIEU of California, and Mr. 
HUFFMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on 
Oversight and Government Reform, Armed Services, and Ways and 
Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To encourage water efficiency. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Water Advanced Tech-
nologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. WATERSENSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established within the 
Environmental Protection Agency a WaterSense program 
to identify and promote water efficient products, buildings 
and landscapes, and services in order— 
(1) to reduce water use; 
(2) to reduce the strain on water, wastewater, 
and stormwater infrastructure; 
(3) to conserve energy used to pump, heat, 
transport, and treat water; and 
(4) to preserve water resources for future gen-
erations, 
through voluntary labeling of, or other forms of commu-
nications about, products, buildings and landscapes, and 
services that meet the highest water efficiency and per-
formance standards. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency shall— 
(1) promote WaterSense labeled products, 
buildings and landscapes, and services in the market 
place as the preferred technologies and services 
for— 
(A) reducing water use; and 
(B) ensuring product and service perform-
ance; 
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(2) work to enhance public awareness of the 
WaterSense label through public outreach, edu-
cation, water recycling and reuse technology re-
search and development, and other means; 
(3) establish and maintain performance stand-
ards so that products, buildings and landscapes, and 
services labeled with the WaterSense label perform 
as well or better than their less efficient counter-
parts; 
(4) publicize the importance of proper installa-
tion of WaterSense plumbing products by a 
WaterSense-certified or, if WaterSense certification 
guidelines do not exist, licensed plumber or mechan-
ical contractor, and the installation, maintenance, 
and audit of WaterSense irrigation systems by a 
WaterSense-certified irrigation professional to en-
sure optimal performance; 
(5) preserve the integrity of the WaterSense 
label; 
(6) regularly review and, when appropriate, up-
date WaterSense criteria for categories of products, 
buildings and landscapes, and services, at least once 
every six years; 
(7) to the reasonable extent practicable, regu-
larly estimate and make available to the public the 
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estimated aggregate production, aggregate market 
penetration, and savings of water, energy, and cap-
ital costs of water, wastewater, and stormwater at-
tributable to the use of WaterSense-labeled products, 
buildings, landscapes, facilities, processes, and serv-
ices, at least annually; 
(8) solicit comments from interested parties and 
the public prior to establishing or revising a 
WaterSense category, specification, installation cri-
terion, or other criterion (or prior to effective dates 
for any such category, specification, installation cri-
terion, or other criterion); 
(9) provide reasonable notice to interested par-
ties and the public of any changes (including effec-
tive dates), on the adoption of a new or revised cat-
egory, specification, installation criterion, or other 
criterion, along with— 
(A) an explanation of changes; and 
(B) as appropriate, responses to comments 
submitted by interested parties; 
(10) provide appropriate lead time (as deter-
mined by the Administrator) prior to the applicable 
effective date for a new or significant revision to a 
category, specification, installation criterion, or other 
criterion, taking into account the timing require-
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ments of the manufacturing, marketing, training, 
and distribution process for the specific product, 
building and landscape, or service category ad-
dressed; and 
(11) identify and, where appropriate, implement 
other voluntary approaches, such as labeling water-
less devices that perform the same function as a 
water consuming product or encouraging reuse, rec-
lamation, and recycling technologies, in commercial, 
institutional, residential, municipal, and industrial 
sectors to improve water efficiency or lower water 
use while meeting the performance standards estab-
lished under paragraph (3). 
SEC. 3. FEDERAL PROCUREMENT OF WATER EFFICIENT 
PRODUCTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 7902(a) of title 
5, United States Code. 
(2) WATERSENSE PRODUCT OR SERVICE.—The 
term ‘‘WaterSense product or service’’ means a 
product or service that is rated for water efficiency 
under the WaterSense program. 
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(3) 
WATERSENSE
PROGRAM.—The 
term 
‘‘WaterSense program’’ means the program estab-
lished by section 2 of this Act. 
(4) FEMP DESIGNATED PRODUCT.—The term 
‘‘FEMP designated product’’ means a product that 
is designated under the Federal Energy Manage-
ment Program of the Department of Energy as 
being among the highest 25 percent of equivalent 
products for efficiency. 
(5) PRODUCT AND SERVICE.—The terms ‘‘prod-
uct’’ and ‘‘service’’ do not include any water con-
suming product or service designed or procured for 
combat or combat-related missions. The terms also 
exclude products or services already covered by the 
Federal procurement regulations established under 
section 553 of the National Energy Conservation 
Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 8259b). 
(b) PROCUREMENT OF WATER EFFICIENT PROD-
UCTS.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—To meet the requirements 
of an agency for a water consuming product or serv-
ice, the head of the agency shall, except as provided 
in paragraph (2), procure— 
(A) a WaterSense product or service; or 
(B) a FEMP designated product. 
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A WaterSense plumbing product should preferably, 
when possible, be installed by a WaterSense-certified 
or, if WaterSense certification guidelines do not 
exist, licensed plumber or mechanical contractor, 
and a WaterSense irrigation system should pref-
erably, when possible, be installed, maintained, and 
audited by a WaterSense-certified irrigation profes-
sional to ensure optimal performance. 
(2) EXCEPTIONS.—The head of an agency is 
not required to procure a WaterSense product or 
service or FEMP designated product under para-
graph (1) if the head of the agency finds in writing 
that— 
(A) a WaterSense product or service or 
FEMP designated product is not cost-effective 
over the life of the product, taking current and 
future energy, water, and wastewater cost sav-
ings into account; or 
(B) no WaterSense product or service or 
FEMP designated product is reasonably avail-
able that meets the functional requirements of 
the agency. 
(3) PROCUREMENT PLANNING.—The head of an 
agency shall incorporate into the specifications for 
all procurements involving water consuming products 
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and systems, including guide specifications, project 
specifications, and construction, renovation, and 
services contracts that include provision of water 
consuming products and systems, and into the fac-
tors for the evaluation of offers received for the pro-
curement, criteria used for rating WaterSense prod-
ucts and services and FEMP designated products. 
The head of an agency shall consider, to the max-
imum extent practicable, additional measures for re-
ducing agency water consumption, including water 
reuse, reclamation, and recycling technologies, leak 
detection and repair, and use of waterless products 
that perform similar functions to existing water-con-
suming products. 
(c) LISTING OF WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCTS IN 
FEDERAL CATALOGS.—WaterSense products and services 
and FEMP designated products shall be clearly identified 
and prominently displayed in any inventory or listing of 
products by the General Services Administration or the 
Defense Logistics Agency. The General Services Adminis-
tration and the Defense Logistics Agency shall supply only 
WaterSense products or FEMP designated products for 
all product categories covered by the WaterSense program 
or the Federal Energy Management Program, except in 
cases where the agency ordering a product specifies in 
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writing that no WaterSense product or FEMP designated 
product is available to meet the buyer’s functional require-
ments, or that no WaterSense product or FEMP des-
ignated product is cost-effective for the intended applica-
tion over the life of the product, taking energy, water, and 
wastewater cost savings into account. 
(d) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
the Environmental Protection Agency shall issue regula-
tions to carry out this section. 
SEC. 4. EARLY ADOPTER WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCTS IN-
CENTIVE PROGRAMS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a State government, local or county gov-
ernment, tribal government, wastewater or sewage 
utility, municipal water authority, energy utility, 
water utility, or nonprofit organization that meets 
the requirements of subsection (b). 
(3) INCENTIVE PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘incentive 
program’’ means a program for administering finan-
cial incentives for consumer purchase and installa-
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tion of residential water efficient products and serv-
ices as described in subsection (b)(1). 
(4) RESIDENTIAL WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCT 
OR SERVICE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘residential 
water efficient product or service’’ means a 
product or service for a single-family or multi-
family residence or its landscape that is rated 
for water efficiency and performance— 
(i) by the WaterSense program; or 
(ii) by an incentive program and ap-
proved by the Administrator. 
Categories of water efficient products and serv-
ices may include faucets, irrigation technologies 
and services, point-of-use water treatment de-
vices, reuse, reclamation, and recycling tech-
nologies, toilets, and showerheads. 
(B) 
THIRD-PARTY
CERTIFICATION.—A 
product shall not be treated as a residential 
water efficient product until after the product— 
(i) is tested by an accredited third- 
party certifying body or laboratory in ac-
cordance with the WaterSense program; 
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(ii) is certified by such body or labora-
tory as meeting the performance and effi-
ciency requirements of such program; and 
(iii) is authorized by such program to 
use its label. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States of the United States, the District 
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin 
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
(6) 
WATERSENSE
PROGRAM.—The 
term 
‘‘WaterSense program’’ means the program estab-
lished by section 2 of this Act. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity shall be eligible 
to receive an allocation under subsection (c) if the entity— 
(1) establishes (or has established) an incentive 
program to provide rebates, vouchers, other financial 
incentives, or direct installs to consumers for the 
purchase and installation of residential water effi-
cient products or services; 
(2) submits an application for the allocation at 
such time, in such form, and containing such infor-
mation as the Administrator may require; and 
(3) provides assurances satisfactory to the Ad-
ministrator that the entity will use the allocation to 
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supplement, but not supplant, funds made available 
to carry out the incentive program. 
(c) AMOUNT OF ALLOCATIONS.—For each fiscal year, 
the Administrator shall determine the amount to allocate 
to each eligible entity to carry out subsection (d) taking 
into consideration— 
(1) the population served by the eligible entity 
in the most recent calendar year for which data are 
available; 
(2) the targeted population of the eligible enti-
ty’s incentive program, such as general households, 
low-income households, or first-time homeowners, 
and the probable effectiveness of the incentive pro-
gram for that population; 
(3) for existing programs, the effectiveness of 
the incentive program in encouraging the adoption 
of water efficient products and services; and 
(4) any prior year’s allocation to the eligible en-
tity that remains unused. 
(d) USE OF ALLOCATED FUNDS.—Funds allocated to 
an entity under subsection (c) may be used to pay up to 
50 percent of the cost of establishing and carrying out 
an incentive program. 
(e) FIXTURE RECYCLING.—Entities are encouraged 
to promote or implement fixture recycling programs to 
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