Chapter 7: Water Efficiency Flashcards
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.
Baseline Case
A standard from which a basis of change can be measured for improvement.
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.
Cooling Tower
A structure that regulates air temperature in a facility by using water to absorb heat from air conditioning systems.
Design Case
The actual project design metrics that are compared to a baseline to show efficiency gains.
Drip Irrigation
Water delivered at a low pressure directly to the roots of a plant.
EPAct of 1992
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires that all toilets use no more that 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.
Evapotranspiration
Amount of water lost through evaporation in irrigation.
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.
Graywater
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.
Lavatory
A bathroom sink.
Native and Adapted Species
Plants that are either native to the region or have adapted to the region and require little to no irrigation.
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.
Reclaimed Water
Wastewater that has been treated and purified for nonpotable uses.
Submetering
The installation of submeters on water systems to allow buildings to track water usage trends, monitor fixture performance, and identify leaks.
Water Closet
A toilet
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 the WE Prerequisite - Indoor Water Use Reduction.
Xeriscaping
Landscaping designated to reduce or eliminate potable water use in irrigation through the planting of native and adapted species of vegetation and the use of other water-conserving techniques.
2 Approaches to Innovative Water Conservation
1) Water Balance Approach
2) Efficiency First Approach
What is the Water Balance Approach?
An approach designed to use only as much water as can be harvested from annual rainfall.
What is the Efficiency First Approach?
An approach designed to work to reduce water use first and consider alternative water sources.
What is water usage measured in?
1) gpf (Gallons per Flush)
2) gpm (Gallons per Minute)
3) gph (Gallons per Hour)
What are the 6 standards set by the EPAct of 1992?
1) Toilet - 1.6gpf
2) Urinal - 1.0gpf
3) Public Faucet - 0.5gpm
4) Private Faucet - 2.2gpm
5) Kitchen Faucet - 2.2gpm
6) Showerhead - 2.5gpm
What are flush fixtures?
1) Includes toilets and urinals
2) Water usage is measured per flush
What are flow fixtures?
1) Includes faucets, hoses, and dishwashers
2) Water usage is measured per minute
3 Types of Water Usage
1) Indoor
2) Outdoor
3) Process Water
2 Water Efficiency Credit Categories
1) Reducing Indoor Water Use
2) Reducing Outdoor Water Use
What is the main goal of the Reducing Indoor Water Use Credit?
To reduce indoor water use by lessening the amount of potable water used inside the building.
What minimum reduction does LEED v4 require for baseline water usage?
A minimum of 20% reduction is required.
How much of the total water is used daily indoors according to the EPA?
About 70%
5 Reducing Indoor Water Use Strategies
1) Install Efficient Fixtures
2) Waterless Fixtures
3) Water Reclamation Systems
4) Install Submeters
5) Reduce Process Water Use
What are Ultra-low Flow Water Closets?
A water closet that includes a pressure tank to produce a pressure-assisted or vacuum-assisted flush. They reduce water use from 1.6gpf to 1.28gpf.
What are Dual-flush Water Closets?
A water closet that provides a flush option for liquid waste and one for solid waste. The first option uses 0.8gpf to 1.0gpf for liquid waste only. The other option uses 1.28gpf to 1.6gpf to remove solids and clean the bowl.
What are Ultra-low-flow Urinals?
Urinals that use a reduced amount of water to flush liquid waste. It reduces water use to 0.125gpf.
What are Low-flow Aerators?
A low-cost alternative that reduces the amount of water flow from a flow fixture by reducing the flow of water by up to 50% and adds a mixer to increase the air in the water to provide the feeling that the flow hasn’t changed.
What are Waterless Urinals?
A urinal designed to allow urine to flow through a trap device without the use of water. They are typically found in large venues such as sports stadiums and museums.
What are Composting Toilets?
A toilet that consists of a single unit with a composting compartment or many units connected to a remote composting tank. Aerobic microorganisms break down the waste using the available water and oxygen, reducing the volume of waste down to 1% to 2% of its original volume.
What is Rainwater Harvesting?
The process of collecting water from rooftops and paved or vegetated ground for reuse. Generally, untreated rainwater is used for landscaping irrigation. However, treated rainwater can also be used for bathing, clothes washing, or other nonpotable uses.
7 Uses for Reclaimed Water
1) Residential and commercial landscaping
2) Recreational field irrigation
3) Dust control and concrete production for construction projects
4) Fire protection through reclaimed water fire hydrants
5) Toilet and urinal flushing in commercial and industrial buildings
6) Commercial uses such as high volume vehicle washing, window washing, and mixing water for pesticides, herbicides, and liquid fertilizers
7) Industrial and utility cooling water and process applications
How much can installing submeters reduce overall building water consumption?
By 30% to 40%
The submeters credit rewards a point to project teams that install submeters on 2 or more of what systems?
1) Irrigation systems
2) Indoor plumbing fixtures and fittings
3) Domestic hot water heaters
4) Boilers
5) Reclaimed water systems
6) Humidification systems
7) Dishwashers
8) Clothes washers
9) Pools
What is Process Water?
All of the building water that is used for industrial purposes in building systems, such as in boilers and cooling towers.
What is a Closed-loop System?
A system that keeps water clean and allows process water to be reused for many cycles instead of piping in potable water from the outside.
What is the intent and goal of the Reducing Outdoor Water Use Credit?
To reduce the amount of water needed for building site irrigation. The goal is to obtain a site that requires little, if no, irrigation.
6 Reducing Outdoor Water Use Strategies
1) Choose native and Locally Adapted Strategies
2) Xeriscaping
3) Select Efficient Irrigation Technologies
4) harvest Rainwater
5) Use Nonpotable Water for Irrigation
6) Install Submeters
7 Steps of Xeriscaping
1) Planning and Design
2) Plant Placement
3) Soil Amendments
4) Efficient Irrigation
5) Turf Alternatives
6) Mulching
7) Maintenance
What is the most efficient form of irrigation?
Drip Irrigation because it delivers water directly to the root of the plant, eliminating loss of water due to evapotranspiration.
How water-efficient is Drip Irrigation?
90%
How water-efficient are Sprinklers?
65%
What are used for commercial rainwater collection?
Cisterns
What are used for residential rainwater collection?
Rain Barrels
