The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized High Sierra Showerheads, a family-owned manufacturer of water-saving showerheads based in Coarsegold, Calif., with a 2016 WaterSense Excellence Award for Strategic Collaboration. This water conservation award recognizes the company as a leader in saving water for future generations and was presented at the annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference.
While more than 1,700 utilities, manufacturers, retailers, builders, and organizations partner with WaterSense, it’s rare for a small manufacturer to receive an EPA WaterSense Award. Only a select few are recognized each year for their program contributions.
The EPA WaterSense Excellence Award was conferred for the company’s strategies in partnering with numerous Federal, State and local jurisdictions to improve facility water savings and allow sites to fulfill their goals requiring water-efficient products. In Fresno, Calif., after a successful pilot in which tenants expressed satisfaction with High Sierra’s 1.5 gallon-per-minute WaterSense labeled showerheads, the Fresno Housing Authority entered into an agreement to install the showerheads in more than 2,500 homes. The company also partnered with Colorado Springs Utilities to install 1,400 showerheads in Colorado federal and state facilities, including the Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado College, and El Paso County’s Criminal Justice Center, allowing these facilities to fulfill their goals and requirements to use water-efficient products.
Founded in 2011, High Sierra has developed its own brand and design of all metal showerheads whose technology delivers a 1.5 and 1.8 gallon-per-minute (gpm. Shower users report satisfaction to that of conventional low flow showerheads and without the maintenance issues of clogging nozzles.
Founder David Malcolm says that builders and contractors adhering to low-flow specifications in new or retrofit projects for homes or academic facilities are reporting savings and quality satisfaction.
“Most low flow showerheads are simply high flow shower heads with smaller holes, whereas our technology revolutionizes water delivery with no sacrifice to shower quality experience and no tiny holes to clog, giving users the experience of a high-water use shower without maintenance. Water use and its costs are lowered as are the related costs in heating and conveying water. And the shower is the same, regardless of water pressure.”
He adds that customers in the homeowner, health facility and academic residential markets, particularly in drought stricken regions of the country benefit from these dual savings.
High Sierra Showerheads is among the WaterSense labeled partners that the EPA reports has helped save 1.5 trillion gallons of water. Since the program began in 2006 WaterSense products have also reduced the need for energy to heat, pump and treat water by 212 billion kilowatt hours.
“I am pleased to see so many of our WaterSense partners making contributions to build the resilience of communities by helping people use water more efficiently,” says Joel Beauvais, EPA Office of Water deputy assistant administrator.
Malcolm adds,” We have worked hard to develop ultra-low flow shower heads that not only save water, but deliver performance over and beyond the original 2.5 gpm low flow shower heads introduced in 1992. We appreciate the EPA’s recognition of our efforts, and collaboration success.”
For more information about High Sierra and WaterSense visit their websites.