AWWA SOURCES55589

This paper discusses the enormous success of Residential Clothes Washer Programs in the United States. When the initiative began, the only washers meeting the Consortium for Energy Efficiency's energy and water specifications were niche products manufactured in Europe. Today, every domestic manufacturer has introduced at least one resource-efficient model to the US market. Water utilities have played a crucial role in the success of the initiative, which has helped lead to the adoption of new federal standards for clothes washers that will become effective in 2004. Since 1998, the initiative has resulted in a savings of $122 million, and the standards are expected to result in over $15 billion of long-term savings for consumers. Includes 7 references, tables.