LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KB Home (NYSE: KBH), one of the nation’s largest and most recognized homebuilders, takes water conservation seriously and designs all of its new homes to maximize water efficiency. KB Home has completed more EPA WaterSense labeled homes than any other builder and is the only homebuilder to be recognized with the EPA’s WaterSense Partner of the Year award for three consecutive years.
“Water is one of our most vital and precious resources and, as a homebuilder, we recognize the importance of empowering our homeowners with the ability to reduce their water use and at the same time lower their utility bills,” said Jeffrey Mezger, chief executive officer of KB Home. “By designing every new KB home with highly efficient features that promote water conservation, we believe we can make a positive impact on our homeowners, the markets we serve and our surrounding environment.”
With the water-efficiency features standard in every KB home, KB homeowners can save an average of 30,000 gallons of water and up to $300 per year on their utility bills compared to a home without these features.* Savings are built-in to every KB home through features such as:
- WaterSense labeled bathroom faucets and showerheads, as well as kitchen faucets that use up to 25% less water compared to standard fixtures
- WaterSense labeled toilets which use up to 30% less water than standard models
- ENERGY STAR® certified, water-efficient dishwashers which consume up to 30% less water per cycle than standard dishwashers
- Water-efficient landscaping
The KB Home Design Studio offers additional options that can further enhance water efficiency such as:
- Water conserving washers
- A water-recycling dishwasher which saves water from the last rinse cycle for use in the first pre-rinse cycle of the next load
- An instant hot water option for kitchen faucets which saves on water usage and energy costs
- Hot water recirculation systems which use a separate pump to provide hot water more quickly and efficiently throughout the home
In addition to having standard WaterSense labeled fixtures in every home, KB Home has also built more than 250 homes that have been certified as “WaterSense Labeled New Homes” by meeting rigorous requirements for indoor and outdoor water use. These requirements include having an ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwasher, an efficient hot water delivery system, a water-efficient landscaped front yard and providing homeowners an information manual on maximizing water-efficiency. KB Home has been building WaterSense Labeled New Homes since 2010 and currently offers them in select communities in California, Texas and Florida. Two new KB Home communities featuring WaterSense Labeled New Homes are set to open later this month in Playa Vista near Los Angeles. These homes can save consumers as much as 50,000 gallons of water annually compared to existing homes.* That’s enough water to fill five residential swimming pools.
KB Home has also completed more than 9,000 homes in Las Vegas that meet the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s WaterSmart standards -- the most of any builder -- and can save up to 75,000 gallons annually compared to older existing homes.**
Cumulatively, WaterSense and WaterSmart homes as well as KB homes with standard water-efficiency features -- a total which represents more than 19,000 KB homes -- save an estimated 2 million gallons of water daily compared to homes without these features.
KB Home is committed to sustainability in all parts of its business and is currently testing new technologies such as greywater recycling to further enhance water conservation. In addition to its WaterSense awards, the company’s water savings initiatives are regularly recognized by media and trade groups including FORTUNE Magazine, Calvert Investments, and Home Innovation Research Labs among many others.
For further information on water efficiency and buying a new KB home, visit www.kbhome.com or call 888-KB-HOMES.
* Water savings are based on U.S. EPA estimates.
** Water savings
are based on WaterSmart program estimates.
About KB Home
KB Home is one of the largest and most recognized homebuilding companies in the United States. Since its founding in 1957, the company has built more than half a million quality homes. KB Home's signature Built to Order™ approach lets each buyer customize their new home from lot location to floor plan and design features. In addition to meeting strict ENERGY STAR® guidelines, all KB homes are highly energy efficient to help lower monthly utility costs for homeowners, which the company demonstrates with its proprietary KB Home Energy Performance Guide® (EPG®). A leader in utilizing state-of-the-art sustainable building practices, KB Home was named the #1 Green Homebuilder in the most recent study by Calvert Investments and the #1 Homebuilder on FORTUNE magazine's 2011 World's Most Admired Companies list. Los Angeles-based KB Home was the first homebuilder listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and trades under the ticker symbol "KBH." For more information about KB Home's new home communities, call 888-KB-HOMES or visit www.kbhome.com.
