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FLASHCARDS - Water Efficiency

The document discusses strategies for reducing water usage in buildings to earn credits in the Water Efficiency (WE) category of LEED. It defines key terms like baseline water consumption, describes indoor water reduction strategies like installing efficient fixtures and reclaiming greywater/rainwater, and outlines outdoor water reduction methods like using native plants, xeriscaping, and efficient irrigation technologies. The overall goal is to reduce potable water usage for non-drinking purposes and treat/reclaim greywater.

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hesham
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101 views5 pages

FLASHCARDS - Water Efficiency

The document discusses strategies for reducing water usage in buildings to earn credits in the Water Efficiency (WE) category of LEED. It defines key terms like baseline water consumption, describes indoor water reduction strategies like installing efficient fixtures and reclaiming greywater/rainwater, and outlines outdoor water reduction methods like using native plants, xeriscaping, and efficient irrigation technologies. The overall goal is to reduce potable water usage for non-drinking purposes and treat/reclaim greywater.

Uploaded by

hesham
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Water Efficiency (WE) category

Main Intents:
Reduce the amount of potable water used for purposes other than drinking, and treat
and reclaim all greywater. Goal is to make it below a set baseline.
VIA
- reducing indoor water use
- reducing outdoor water use
- cooling Tower Water Use
- water metering

baseline case
a standard from which a basis of change can be measured for improvement

design case
the actual project design metrics that are compared to a baseline to show efficiency
gains

gpf, gpm, or gph


Water use is measured in these units:
-gallons per flush (flush fixtures - WCs and urinals)
-gallons per minute (flow fixtures - faucets and showers)
-gallons per hour (industrial uses)

EPAct of 1992
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires that all toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons
of water per flush and all urinals use no more than 1.0 gallon per flush, among other
requirements. This standard is used in the LEED credits for the Water Efficiency
(WE) category to calculate the baseline daily water usage of a project.

What is the baseline water consumption for the following:


- WC
- urinal
- public lavatory faucet
- private lavatory faucet
- kitchen faucet
- shower head
-1.6 gpf
- 1 gpf
- .5 gpm
- 2.2 gpm
- 2.2. gpm
- 2.5 gpm

FTE
full-time equivalent
The designation for a building occupant who spends 40 hours per week in the project
building. Transient occupants have FTE values based on their hours per week
divided by 40.
So FTE for normal employee = 1
FTE for part time workers or visitors = .x
REDUCE INDOOR WATER USE -
Intents:
Reduce the amount of potable water used inside a building.
LEED building minimum in 20% reduction of the baseline for water used indoors

REDUCE INDOOR WATER USE -


Strategies:
- Install efficient fixtures
- implementing a graywater or rainwater reclamation system
- install submitters that measure and report water flow

What percent of daily water use is used indoors?


70%

REDUCE INDOOR WATER USE -


Strategy: Install Efficient Fixtures
How do you do it?
Install fixtures carry the WaterSense label

WaterSense
A partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that
brings together a variety of stakeholders to provide consumers with easy ways to
save water, as both a label for products and an information resource to help people
use water more efficiently. In LEED v4, WaterSense-labeled fixtures are required for
WE Prerequisite—Indoor Water Use Reduction.

lavatory
a bathroom sink

water closet
a toilet

aerator
a water flow constrictor attached to the tip of an indoor water faucet to limit the
amount of water that flows out of it

Ultra-low-flow water closet or high-efficiency toilet (HET)


water closet that includes a pressure tank to produce a pressure assisted/vacuum-
assisted flush
-1.28gpf
-requires more maintenance

Dual-flush water closets


provides a flush option for liquid waste and a flush option for solid waste
-liquid = 0.8 - 1 gpf
-solid = 1.28 - 1.6 gpf

Ultra-low-flow urinals
pressure-assisted flush to reduce amount of water to flush liquid waste
- .125gpf
Low-flow aerators
replaces an existing aerator to reduce amount of water used
- flow restricts reduces the flow of water by up to 50% and increase the mix of air to
water to provide the feeling that the flow has not changed
- screen and mixer need to be periodically replaced

Waterless fixtures
waterless urinals
- use a replaceable cartridge or liquid sealant to prevent sewer gas for entering the
room

composting toilet
- solid waste is collected and aerobic microorganism converted into organics mater
without using water
- column is reduced down to 1-2% of its original volume

REDUCE INDOOR WATER USE


Strategy: Reclaim water

How do you do it?


Use reclaimed water to replace potable water use (in applications that don't truly
need potable water)

reclaimed water
Wastewater that has been treated and purified for nonpotable use

Greywater
Untreated household wastewater that has not come into contact with toilet waste.
This includes wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, and washing
machines. It does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers.

Blackwater
Water from toilets and urinals that is considered under all codes to be wastewater.
Some states also consider water from kitchen sinks, showers, and bathtubs to be
blackwater.

nonpotable water
Water collected from a variety of sources, such as rainwater, that has not been
approved for human consumption but can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing.

potable water
Water that is treated to a standard that makes it safe for human consumption.

process water
used for industrial purposes in building systems
- boilers
- cooling towers
- commercial dishwashers/washing machines/ice machines
rainwater harvesting
collecting water from rooftops and paved or vegetated ground for reuse
- commonly used in arid areas
- can be used to supplement cooling towers

submetering
The installation of submeters on water systems to allow buildings to track water
usage trends, monitor fixture performance, and identify leaks.

cooling tower
a structure that regulates air temperature in a facility by using water to absorb heat
from air conditioning systems

REDUCE OUTDOOR WATER USE -


Intents:
Reduce the amount of water needed for building site irrigation. The goal is a site that
requires little to no water for irrigation.

REDUCE OUTDOOR WATER USE -


Strategies:
- Use Native/Adapted Species
- Xeriscaping
- Efficient Irrigation Tech.

REDUCE OUTDOOR WATER USE -


Strategy: Use Native/Adapted Species

How do you do it?


Choose them when landscaping.
When plants are either native to the region or have adapted to the region, they
require little to no irrigation.

REDUCE OUTDOOR WATER USE -


Strategy: Xeriscaping

How do you do it?


Utilize soil improvement, efficient irrigation, and native plants to reduce water use.
Steps include:
- Plan & design
- plant placement
- soil amendments
- efficient irrigation
- turf alternations
- mulch
- maintenance.
REDUCE OUTDOOR WATER USE -
Strategy: Efficient Irrigation Tech.

How do you do it?


- Harvest rainwater
- Use that nonpotable water for irrigation
- Install submeters so you can monitor efficiency

drip irrigation
The most efficient irrigation (90% efficient)
Water delivered at a low pressure directly to the roots of a plant.

evapotranspiration
Water lost through evaporation in irrigation.
Traditional sprinklers are only 65% efficient because of evaporation.
 

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