Septemb
ber 18, 2014 The Hono
orable John Boehner Speaker of the House
e of Represe
entatives 1011 Lon
ngworth Hou
use Office Bu
uilding Washington, D.C. 20515 The Hono
orable Harryy Reid Majority Leader of th
he Senate 522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 orable Nanccy Pelosi The Hono
Minority Leader of th
he House of Representaatives 235 Cann
non House O
Office Buildin
ng Washington, DC 20515 orable Mitch
h McConnelll The Hono
Minority Leader of th
he Senate 317 Russsell Senate O
Office Buildin
ng Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Spe
eaker Boehn
ner, Majorityy Leader Reiid, Minority Leader Pelo
osi, and Min
nority Leader M
McConnell: The Alliance for Watter Efficiencyy wishes to eexpress unq
qualified sup
pport for S. 2
2771/ st
H.R. 5363
3, the Wateer in the 21 Century A
Act. This lan
ndmark legisslation prom
motes water effficiency, conservation and a reuse –– strategies vital if we are to deal with critical w
water supply issues. The
e measures ccontained in
n the legislattion are practical and affo
ordable solu
utions and are a widely endorsed b
by business,, municipal,, and environm
mental leade
ers. We stron
ngly urge you to supportt this legislation. A key element of th
his bill is pe
ermanent a uthorization
n of the U.SS. Environm
mental Protectio
on Agency’s WaterSense
e program, a voluntaryy water‐ efficiency labell that has alreaady saved 757 billion gaallons of waater and oveer $14.2 billion in water and energy bills b
since itts inception in 2006. This importtant partnerrship prograam is broadly supported by manufacturers, consumers, lo
ocal and sttate government officials, water efficiency exp
perts, and other key stakeholders. Its prroven orsed by Coongress, so that WaterrSense can sstand effectiveness needs to be endo
R® as twin b
beacons of ccongressionaal commitmeent to water and beside ENERGY STAR
energy efficiency. We also support th
he other measures in the bill: tthe State Reesidential W
Water Efficiencyy and Conse
ervation Program for consumer inceentives, and loan guaran
ntees and matching grants for multiple‐benefit water projects on a regional scale. They will create cost‐effective programs to promote individual and community efforts to conserve and sustain our water supplies for future generations. The Alliance for Water Efficiency is a stakeholder‐based non‐profit organization dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water. Headquartered in Chicago, the Alliance serves as a North American advocate for water efficient products and programs, and provides information and assistance on water conservation efforts. Our broad membership base includes municipalities, water utilities, water resource planning agencies, non‐profit organizations, academic institutions, private consultants, plumbing and appliance manufacturers, and other key stakeholders in water. We stand ready to provide whatever information or assistance you may need in the passage of this important legislation. Please feel free to contact us. Sincerely yours, Mary Ann Dickinson President and CEO cc: The Honorable Barbara Boxer The Honorable Grace Napolitano