The Portuguese system of certifying and labeling water-efficiency products

• Published in: Journal - American Water Works Association 2010-02, Vol.102 (2), p.52-56
• Main Authors: Armando, Silva‐Afonso, Carla, Pimentel‐Rodrigues
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Associations; Bathrooms; Certification; Cisterns; conservation; Consumer goods industries; Consumers; Consumption; Dehydration; Descriptive labeling; Drainage; Drainage water; Drinking water; Efficiency; Labeling; Laboratories; Plumbing fixtures; Portugal; Product labeling; Rain; Technicians; Toilet facilities; Toilets; Wastewater; Water Conservation; Water consumption; Water quality; Water Saving Devices; Water supply; Water use efficiency
• ISSN: 0003-150X; 1551-8833
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1551-8833.2010.tb10044.x

This article discusses a water‐efficiency certification and labeling initiative launched in Portugal in 2008 that is helping cut consumption and conserve stressed supplies. The Programa Nacional para o Uso Eficiente da Agua (PNUEA) urges labeling plumbing components in buildings (e.g., flushing systems, showers) in order to provide consumers with information about the devices’ water efficiency. The article also discusses the Associacao Nacional para a Qualidade nas Instalacoes Prediais (ANQIP), the only large Portuguese association focusing on building installations, and recommends including ANQIP in an essential leadership role in the program for certification and labeling of products’ water efficiency. The article discusses the implementation of the program in stages, beginning with cistern toilets, followed by showerheads and shower systems, and the most current certification and labeling of taps, the most common water‐delivery device, both in homes and in collective facilities. Results of the program's first year are discussed.