Manufacturers and distributors of water closet, urinal, faucet and showerhead products claiming to meet applicable water conservation standards as required by the U.S. Energy Policy Conservation Act and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) regulations must demonstrate certification to these standards and regulations or risk fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) (42 U.S.C. 6291, et seq.), which established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other than Automobiles, covers major household appliances, including such plumbing products as faucets, showerheads, water closets and urinals.
The DOE’s Office of General Counsel last month issued Notices of Proposed Civil Penalty to four manufacturers for failing to have their showerheads certified. The manufacturers face potential combined penalties in excess of $3 million.
These procedures for testing and certification are spelled out in the Code of Federal Regulations and are not covered by the Energy Star® or WaterSense® Programs. The procedures allow for a third party testing agency, such as IAPMO R&T Lab, to test the products and submit test reports on behalf of compliant manufacturers. The compliance statement required by the DOE, however, must be signed and submitted by the manufacturer.
IAPMO R&T Lab is ready and fully capable to assist manufacturers and importers with the certification of their products by demonstrating the knowledge and expertise necessary to get their products tested and certified with the Department of Energy quickly.
Testing can be done at one of IAPMO R&T Lab’s facilities or, if requested, an engineer can be sent to the manufacturing facility.
For more information on testing your products with IAPMO R&T Lab, call (909) 472-4100 or direct your Web browser to www.iapmortl.org.
IAPMO R&T Laboratory is an independent testing, research, and technical service agency for the plumbing and mechanical industries. IAPMO R&T Laboratory is part of The IAPMO Group’s family of companies.
Last modified: March 11, 2010