Water Efficiency

Question 1

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

Baseline case

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Blackwater

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Cooling tower

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Design case

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Drip irrigation

Answer 6

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

Question 7

EPAct of 1992

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Evapotranspiration

Answer 8

Amount of water lost through evaporation in irrigation

Question 9

Full-time equivalent (FTE)

Answer 9

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 10

Graywater

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Lavatory

Answer 11

A bathroom sink

Question 12

Native and adapted species

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Nonpotable water

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Potable water

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Reclaimed water

Answer 15

Wastewater that has been treated and purified for nonpotable uses

Question 16

Submetering

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Water closet

Answer 17

A toilet

Question 18

WaterSense

Answer 18

A partnership program by the US 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

Question 19

Xeriscaping

Answer 19

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