Water Efficiency Flashcards
How many total points can be earned max for the Water Efficiency category?
11
How many prerequisites does the Water Efficiency category have?
3 -
Outdoor water use reduction
Indoor water use reduction
Building level water metering
What are the credit categorizes for Water Efficiency?
- outdoor water use reduction
- indoor water use reduction
- cooling tower water use reduction
- water metering
What is the first thing that needs to be calculated for indoor water use?
Baseline
Baseline flow & flush rates are specified by what act?
Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 1992)
What is used to determine the occupant usage of fixtures and fittings?
Full time equivalent (FTE)
For outdoor water usage, how is the baseline calculated?
Landscape water requirement (LWR)
What is the Landscape Water Requirement (LWR)?
The amount of water that the landscape will require during the site’s peak watering month
To calculate the LWR, projects use what tool?
EPA’s WaterSense Water Budget Tool
What is the EPA’s WaterSense Water Budget Tool?
Online calculating tool which the project team needs to input the types of vegetation, area of each vegetation, project location & irrigation system type
Indoor potable water consumption can be reduced by using what?
Water efficient fixtures and fittings and/or using non potable water sources where appropriate
______ is a program developed by the US EPA to identify high performance, water efficient fixtures and fittings
WaterSense
What types of fixtures and fittings can be installed to decrease potable water consumption?
Dual flush toilets High efficiency toilets Waterless urinals Composting toilets Low flow shower heads & faucets Faucets with low flow aerators &/or motion sensors
What types of water can be used for the flush water of toilets & can decrease potable water consumption?
Rainwater
Gray water
Some states do not allow what kind of water as toilet flush water?
Gray water
What is gray water?
Untreated household water that did not come into contact with toilet waste
Ex: used from bath water, showers, bath waste bins, laundry
What is black water?
Used water that has come into contact with waste
Ex: water collected from urinals & toilets
What is reclaimed water?
Former black water that has been treated and purified for reuse & can even be used for irrigation
What is process water?
Water used by mechanical or other types of systems in buildings such as cooling towers or medical equipment
What 3 types of water can be used as process water to contribute to reducing potable water consumption?
Reclaimed water
Harvested rainwater
Gray water
Define a closed loop system
System that doesn’t produce any waste by circulating the same median
Define an open system
Systems that constantly consume other items, use them & produce waste at the end
Open loop water systems require outside water, it is known as what?
Makeup water
What is makeup water?
Water used to replace the lost water in open systems from evaporation & blowdown
When doing water use calculations, the water usage of flush fixtures such as urinals is measured in _________
Gallons per flush
For flow fixtures (ex: sink faucets, shower heads, aerators), the water usage is measured in _____
Gallons per minute
How can water consumption be reduced for irrigation?
- water wise landscaping design 📐
- water efficient irrigation technologies 🚜
- non potable water use 💧
- submeters to track usage 🧭
Type of landscaping that doesn’t need any irrigation
Xeriscaping
Careful plant selection can contribute to outdoor water use reduction with the use of ____ & ____, as well as clearing out ____
Native & adaptive plants
Invasive plants
What landscaping technique helps keep plants cool & prevent evaporation?
Mulching
What are 3 types of high performance irrigation technologies to consider for water use reduction?
Drip irrigation systems
Bubbler distribution systems
Chanel water directly to roots system
Types of microirrigation systems that drip water to the roots of plants to minimize the use of irrigation water and fertilizers
Drip irrigation systems
What is the most water efficient system with a short payback period?
Drip irrigation system
When is the best time to perform irrigation?
Mornings when it is cool
How is a landscape that doesn’t require irrigation defined? (Hint: time)
Landscape that does not need any irrigation beyond a max of a 2 year period
What may be included or excluded from LEED outdoor water use calculations according to the project team’s decision?
Athletic fields & vegetated playgrounds
LEED requires all projects to reduce the baseline outdoor water usage by ___% from the calculated baseline for the site’s peak watering month
30%
If all the installed fixtures and fittings do not exceed WaterSense max levels, projects can earn the indoor water usage pre req by only documenting their fixtures’ & applicable appliances’ ___ or ____
Product cut sheets or fixture schedules
What are the most water consuming items in a building?
Appliances & process equipments
What are considered Fixtures or Fittings?
Toilets
Urinals
Faucets
Showerheads
What are considered Appliances?
Laundry machines
Dishwashers
Pre rinse sprays
Ice machines
What are considered Process items?
HVAC
Cooling towers & evaporative coolers
What are the baseline water consumptions of a toilet and a urinal?
Toilet - 1.6 gpf
Urinal - 1.0 gpf
LEED requires all projects to reduce the baseline indoor water usage ___% by utilizing more efficient fixtures and fittings with the use of WaterSense labeled products
20%
____ will collect and analyze data in order to identify common traits among high and low performers and will share its findings with the project teams so they can improve their performance
USGBC
How long should the whole project water data be shared with USGBC?
5 years, starting the date the project accepts the LEED certification or typical occupancy, whichever comes first
How often should metered water data be collected?
Monthly & annually
In the outdoor water use reduction category, projects will be awarded points if they can make a __% or __% reduction from the baseline
50% or 100%
What are considered alternative water sources?
- reclaimed wastewater
- gray water
- captured rainwater & stormwater
- swimming pool backwash water
- refrigeration system condensate & fluid cooler discharge
- foundation drain
Appliances and process water equipment should meet ____ requirements
ENERGY STAR
Define Blowdown
Removal of the cooling tower’s water in order to minimize deposit of scales
What kind of water can be used in cooling towers to reduce potable water usage?
Recycled non potable water
What are the 6 subsystems LEED requires to meter for advanced metering of at least 80%?
- irrigation
- indoor plumbing fixtures & fittings
- domestic hot water
- boiler (annual use 100,000 Gal)
- reclaimed water
- other process water
What specifies baseline flow and flush rates?
EPA act 1992
What does the EPAct 1992 do?
Specifies baseline flow & flush rates
What is rainwater harvesting?
Collects & filters rainwater to be reused as an alternative to potable water
In some states, water that has come into contact with dishwashers & kitchen sinks is considered ____
Black water
Installing sub meters can reduce overall building water use consumption by what amount in the first few months?
30-40%
