Helping Refresh EPA Guidelines

07/06/2009

The Anderson Group works closely with TetraPond® to publish its monthly e-newsletter Into the Pond, which is emailed to water garden and pond enthusiasts. Last year, The Anderson Group identified new statistics that promoted the benefits of installing a pond or water feature vs. installing and maintaining a traditional grass lawn—information we felt would be of interest to Into the Pond readers. 

The ensuing article published in Into the Pond drew the attention of several members of the National Association of Pond Professionals (NAPP). The NAPP and a host of other manufacturers, retailers, and associations involved in the pond industry—including the National Wildlife Federation—were in the midst of petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA had proposed a program called WaterSense® that would ban home builders from manufacturing homes with the WaterSense label if they install ornamental water features. These guidelines immediately caused a well-founded unfavorable ripple throughout the pond industry.

The Anderson Group’s article had perfect timing and the NAPP contacted us and our client, TetraPond, to get more information to strengthen the fight to alter the EPA guidelines. Working with our client and the NAPP against a strict deadline, The Anderson Group researched and gathered additional facts to be presented to the EPA.

The result? Success! The EPA revised the draft specs for the WaterSense program and removed the water feature ban for new home construction. This has conversely opened the door for additional growth opportunities for the pond industry.