U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Names Delta Faucet Company 2013 WaterSense® Manufacturer Partner of the Year

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today named Delta Faucet Company a 2013 WaterSense^®1 Manufacturer Partner of the Year. The manufacturer of Delta^®, Brizo^® and Peerless^® branded products was honored in Las Vegas during the sixth annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference for its commitment to water efficiency and outstanding efforts to support the WaterSense program during 2012.

"As a WaterSense partner since the program's inception, we are committed to working with the EPA to encourage efficient use of water resources and protect the future of our nation's water supply," said Richard O'Reagan, Delta Faucet Company president. "From consciously working to reduce our footprint to developing environmentally-friendly products and technologies, we recognize our role in helping to sustain the environment."

This award marks the second time Delta Faucet Company has received this prestigious recognition from the EPA; the company was named 2011 WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of the Year. In 2012, Delta Faucet Company continued its efforts to support WaterSense labeled products and water efficiency by ensuring that 100 percent of its bathroom collections offer a faucet and showerhead that meet EPA's efficiency and performance criteria. Also, in 2012, the company launched its Corrente™ and Prelude™ toilets, expanding its WaterSense labeled offerings into a new category.

"The development of H₂Okinetic^® technology, which provides the consumer-proven feeling of a warmer, more drenching shower while using up to 40 percent less water, and Delta Touch₂O^® and Brizo SmartTouch Technologies, which automatically stop the flow of water when the faucet is not in use, demonstrates how we are constantly working to help users intuitively save water while improving their experience, not sacrificing it," said Paul Patton, Delta Faucet Company senior research and development and regulatory manager.

In addition to promoting its WaterSense labeled products year-round, Delta Faucet launched a collaborative, coast-to-coast water efficiency campaign in celebration of the EPA's annual Fix a Leak Week program in 2012. Teaming up with several utility partners in cities across the United States, Delta Faucet donated its WaterSense labeled showerheads and worked with volunteers to install them and other water-saving products in nearly 2,000 housing units in 10 different cities. Delta Faucet's Fix a Leak Week efforts resulted in more than 7 million gallons in estimated annual water savings.

In 2012 alone, WaterSense labeled products and new homes helped Americans save more than 202 billion gallons of water, or more than the amount of water needed to supply all the homes in Colorado for a year. More than 2,700 utility, manufacturer, retail, builder, organizational, and professional partners helped the WaterSense program realize these accomplishments, but every year a few in particular are recognized for their significant contributions to the program.

"All of our WaterSense partners have taken steps to reduce our nation's water use, but several stood out in 2012 for their commitment to the WaterSense program and collaborative efforts to promote WaterSense labeled products, new homes and outreach and educational programs," said EPA's acting Assistant Administrator for Water Nancy Stoner. "We are pleased to honor Delta Faucet Company for its efforts that support our mission to protect the future of our nation's water supply."

About Delta Faucet Company
Founded by Masco Corporation in 1954 with the introduction of the single-handle faucet, Delta Faucet Company is proud to be America's faucet innovation leader, featuring Delta^®, Brizo^® and Peerless^® products. A WaterSense^® partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Delta Faucet  is a global organization that offers kitchen faucets, bath faucets, shower heads, shower systems, toilets and related accessories, selling products in more than 53 countries. For more information, visit www.deltafaucet.com.

About Masco
Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), parent company of Delta Faucet Company, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of brand-name consumer products for the home and family, including Behr^® paint; Delta^® and Hansgrohe^® kitchen and bath faucets and shower fixtures; KraftMaid^® and Merillat^® cabinets; and Milgard^® windows and doors. Masco is also a leading provider of services that include the installation of insulation and other building products through Masco Contractor Services. Visit www.masco.com for more information on the Masco family of brands.

About WaterSense
WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Since the program's inception in 2006, the WaterSense program has helped consumers save 487 billion gallons of water and $8.9 billion in water and energy bills.

Links to additional resources
Delta Online Press Room
About Masco Corporation

¹ WaterSense^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

SOURCE Delta Faucet Company