Chapter 7 - Water Efficiency

Question 0

What is a baseline case?

Answer 0

A standard from which a basis of change can be measured and improved.

Question 1

What is an aerator?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

What is blackwater?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What is a cooling tower?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What is a design case?

Answer 4

The actual project design metrics that are compared to the baseline to show efficiency gains.

Question 5

What is drip irrigation?

Answer 5

Water delivered at a low pressure directly to the roots of a plant.

Question 6

What is the EPAct of 1992?

Answer 6

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires that all toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush and all urinals no more than 1 gallon per flush, among other requirements. This standard is used in the LEED credits for waster efficiency category to calculate the baseline daily water usage of a project.

Question 7

What is evapotranspiration?

Answer 7

Amount of water lost through evaporation in irrigation.

Question 8

What is full time equivalent (FTE)?

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

What is gray water?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

What is a lavatory?

Answer 10

A bathroom sink

Question 11

What are native and adapted species?

Answer 11

Plants that are either native to the region or have adapted to the region and require little to no irrigation.

Question 12

What is nonpotable water?

Answer 12

Water collected from a variety of sources, such as rainwater, that has to been approved for human consumption but can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing.

Question 13

What is potable water?

Answer 13

Water that is treated to a standard that makers it safe for human consumption.

Question 14

What is reclaimed water?

Answer 14

Wastewater that has been treated and purified for nonpotable uses.

Question 15

What is sub metering?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

What is a water closet?

Answer 16

A toilet

Question 17

What is WaterSense?

Answer 17

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 prerequisite WE - indoor water use and reduction.

Question 18

What is xeriscaping?

Answer 18

Landscaping designed 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.