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EPA Recognizes Lowe’s As Water Efficiency Leader

Release Date: 10/08/2009
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – Oct. 8, 2009) More than 1,000 WaterSense partners helped Americans save 9.3 billion gallons of water in 2008. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named five of them, including Lowe’s Companies, Inc., headquartered in Mooresville, N.C., as the 2009 WaterSense Partners of the Year.

“Our partners have demonstrated how collaboration and commitment to water efficiency can result in major savings for Americans,” said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water.
“By working together to promote WaterSense labeled products and other water-efficient behaviors, they are helping Americans save tremendously on water, energy and money on their utility bills.”

Lowe’s, one of the largest home improvement retailers in North America, trained more than 215,000 employees to promote WaterSense to customers at 1,650 stores and has demonstrated that increasing the percentage of WaterSense labeled products they sell is a top priority.

After becoming a WaterSense partner in 2008, Lowe’s shifted its marketing strategy from focusing on energy efficiency to the broader “efficient home,” emphasizing saving both water and energy. Lowe’s created an Efficient Home Web site and a bilingual Efficient Home Guide that highlight WaterSense.

During sales tax-free events in Georgia and Virginia, Lowe’s joined forces with EPA and other key partners to help customers identify WaterSense-labeled products and explain their benefits. Shoppers at these events received a special discount for various WaterSense-labeled products that Lowe’s helped negotiate with Kohler, American Standard and Jacuzzi.

Besides Lowe’s, the following utilities, manufacturer and individual were also recognized for their extraordinary efforts promoting WaterSense in 2008:

• Promotional Partners of the Year: Cobb County Water System in Georgia (Large Utility)

James City Service Authority in Virginia (Small Utility)