C. Douglas Kinard, IIIC. Douglas Kinard, IIIAIA, NCARB, LEED™, PMIAIA, NCARB, LEED™, PMI

Water EfficiencyWater Efficiency

Water EfficiencyWater Efficiency

IrrigationWastewater TechnologiesWater Use Reduction

Where’s the WaterWhere’s the Water

What is ground water? What is ground water?

Ground-water aquifers Ground-water aquifers

Water Efficiency - OverviewWater Efficiency - Overview• The intent of the WE credits 1, 2 & 3

– Water Efficient Landscaping– Innovative Wastewater Technologies– Water Use Reduction

• LEED™ Baselines and Assumptions• Applicable technologies to earn these credits• Non-applicable technologies• Submittals• Barriers to acceptance

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient Landscaping• The objective of Credits WE 1.1 and 1.2

– Limit or eliminate the use of potable water for landscaping irrigation.

• WE 1.1– Reduce potable water consumption for

irrigation by 50% over conventional means• WE 1.2

– Eliminate the use of all potable water for irrigation.

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient LandscapingWE 1.1 – 50% Reduction• Requirements

– Use high efficiency irrigation technology OR use captured rainwater or recycled site water to reduce potable water consumption for irrigation by 50% over conventional means.

• Submittals– Provide the LEED™ Letter Template, signed by the

architect, engineer or responsible party, declaring that potable water consumption for irrigation has been reduced by 50%. Requires a brief narrative of the equipment and/or the use of drought-tolerant or native plants.

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient LandscapingWE 1.2 – Eliminate Potable Water Use• Requirements

– Use only captured rainwater or recycled site water to eliminate all potable water use for irrigation, OR do not install permanent landscape irrigation.

• Submittals– Provide the LEED™ Letter Template, signed by the

architect, engineer or responsible party, declaring that potable water will not be used for irrigation. Requires a brief narrative describing the rain capture system, the recycled site water system and the holding capacity. List all plant species and include the calculations showing capacity meets need.

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient Landscaping• Calculations

– To quantify water efficient landscape measures it is necessary to calculate irrigation volumes for the designed landscape irrigation system for the month of July and compare it to the volume required for a baseline landscape irrigation system.

• Formula– KL = ks x kd x kmc

KKL L == k kss xx k kdd xx k kmcmc

• KL – The Landscape Coefficient

• ks – The Species Factor

• kd – The Density Factor

• kmc – The Microclimate Factor

Veg Type ks kd kmc

L M H L M H L M HTrees 0.2 0.5 0.9 0.5 1.0 1.3 0.5 1.0 1.4Shrubs 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.5 1.0 1.1 0.5 1.0 1.3Groundcovers 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.5 1.0 1.1 0.5 1.0 1.2Mixed 0.2 0.5 0.9 0.6 1.1 1.3 0.5 1.0 1.4Turfgrass 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.6 1.0 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.2

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient Landscaping• Strategies

– High efficiency irrigation

– Native plants– Drought-resistant

plants– Xeriscapes– Water harvesting– Grey-water usage

• High efficiency irrigation– Micro-irrigation systems– Moisture systems– Clock timers– Weather database

controllers• Water Harvesting

– Stormwater– Irrigation Runoff– Cooling towers– HVAC systems– Rainfall

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient Landscaping• Xeriscape landscaping

– Xeriscape landscaping is defined as “quality landscaping that conserves water and protects the environment.”

– The word “Xeriscape” was coined and copyrighted by Denver Water Department in 1981 to help make water conserving landscaping an easily recognized concept. The word is a combination of the Greek word “xeros,” which means “dry,” and “landscape.”

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient Landscaping• The seven principles upon which

Xeriscape landscaping is based are:– Proper planning and design– Soil analysis and improvement– Appropriate plant selection– Practical turf areas– Efficient irrigation– Use of mulches– Appropriate maintenance

Water Efficient LandscapingWater Efficient Landscaping• The eight fundamentals of water-wise

landscaping and Xeriscape landscaping – Group plants according to their water needs.– Use native and low-water-use plants.– Limit turf areas to those needed for practical uses.– Use efficient irrigation systems.– Schedule irrigation wisely.– Make sure soil is healthy.– Remember to mulch.– Provide regular maintenance.

Benefits of water-efficientlandscaping?

• Lower water bills from reduced water use.

• Conservation of natural resources and preservation of habitat for plants and wildlife such as fish and waterfowl.

• Decreased energy use (and air pollution associated with its generation) because less pumping and treatment of water is required.

• Reduced home or office heating and cooling costs through the careful placement of trees and plants.

• Reduced runoff of stormwater and irrigation water that carries top soils, fertilizers, and pesticides into lakes, rivers, and streams.

• Fewer yard trimmings to be managed or landfilled.

• Reduced landscaping labor and maintenance costs.

• Extended life for water resources infrastructure (e.g., reservoirs, treatment plants, groundwater aquifers), thus reduced taxpayer costs.

Water ConservationWater Conservation

• The objective of Credits WE 2.0 and 3.1/3.2:– Waste water reduction or treatment/Potable water use

reduction• WE 2.0

– 50% reduction of waste water or treat 100% of waste water on site to tertiary standards (1 credit.)

• WE 3.1 – 20% reduction of potable water use (1 credit)

• WE 3.2 – 30% reduction (10% additional, 1 credit)

Water Efficiency 2.0 • Of the 109 certified projects (version 2, as at

June 16th 2004), 21 have achieved WE Credit 2.0, of those, only 8 have used the treatment of wastewater on site to tertiary standards as the method of meeting the credit criteria.

• “The intent of this credit is to encourage innovative, proactive wastewater technologies. Simply reducing water use is not adopting an innovative wastewater technology, and would not qualify for this credit.”

LEED Baseline

US EPA Standard

Water Closet 6 L/F (1.6)Urinals 3.8 L/F (1.0)Lavatory Faucet 9.5 L/min (2.5)Kitchen Faucet 9.5 L/min (2.5)Shower Head 9.5 L/min (2.5)

BC Plumbing Regulations*(Standard Practice)

Water Closet 13.25 L/F (3.5)Urinals 5.7 L/F (1.5)Lavatory Faucet 8.3 L/min (2.2)Kitchen Faucet 8.3 L/min (2.2)Shower Head 9.5 L/min (2.5)

USGBC LEED uses the more stringent US Energy Policy Act as a water usage baseline:

*Exception, new residential construction in Vancouver requires 6 L/F Water Closets and 3.8 L/F urinals

LEED AssumptionsCalculations do not include ‘process’ water.

“Process water includes, but is not limited to, water use from cooling towers, dishwashers and clothes washers. Optimization of process water use is eligible for LEED credit under the Innovation in Design category.”

Water used in ‘industrial processes’ is also exempt.

LEED AssumptionsFixture Usage:

There are no set criteria for determining daily use or duration of use. However, the LEED reference guide offers some guidelines:

Male occupants are assumed to use water closets once and urinals twice in a typical work day. Female occupants are assumed to use water closets three times... Lavatory use for 15 seconds for each restroom use & kitchen faucets once for 15 seconds.

LEED AssumptionsUsage:

These assumptions are based on full time occupants, so you will need to make assumptions for visitors.

Visitors use restrooms, so they should be included in water use calculations... short term visitors are not required to be included in the number of occupants that use showers.

LEED Assumptions

Visitor Usage:Average # of daily visitors X Average length of visit

8 hours = equivalent full time employees(assume 1:1 ratio men to women or as appropriate)

Example:48 daily visitors X 30 minutes per average visit (0.5 hours)

8 hours = 3 full time employees

(LEED Calculator allows you to enter ‘partial’ people, 1.5 men and 1.5 women from the example above)

Water Saving Technology– Composting Toilets (0 L/F)– Waterless Urinal (0 L/F)– Ultra Low flow Toilets (Varies ~3 L/F, .8 G/F)– Dual Flush Toilets (6 & 3 L/F, 1.6 & .8 G/F)– Low flow Toilets (4.1 L/F, 1.1 G/F)

Applicable to credit 3.1/3.2 Only:– Low Flow Shower Heads (6.8 L/min, 1.8 G/min)– Low Flow Faucets (6.8 L/min, 1.8 G/min)– Ultra Low Shower (5.7 L/min, 1.5 G/min)– Ultra Low Flow Faucets (1.9 L/min, 0.5 G/min)

Water Savings• Composting Toilets: 42% to 44%• Waterless Urinal: 13% to 16%• Ultra low-flow Toilets: 21% to 24%• Dual Flush Toilets: 10% to 14%• Low flow Toilets: 13% to 16%

Applicable to credits 3.1 & 3.2 Only:

• Low flow Faucets: 5% to 9%• Low flow Shower head: 4%• Ultra low flow Faucets 22% to 25%• Ultra low Shower head: 6%

Baseline Case

Design Case

Composting Toilets• Only a handful of public or

commercial buildings in Canada use composting toilets.

• Requires electricity to operate (commercial type).

• Relatively expensive if plumbing is already in place, cost effective if ‘off grid’.

Waterless Urinal• Gradually gaining more

acceptance.• Can be ~$200 per fixture up-

charge compared to convention urinals, however, no supply plumbing required.

• Must be properly maintained.

Dual Flush Toilets• Relatively well accepted in the

marketplace, with some exceptions.

• Approximately the same cost as a commercial toilet.

• Wide range of performance, depending on manufacturer.

Non-Applicable Technology“The on-site adjustment or water savings strategy must be permanent.”

Water closet dams and non-tamperproof flow restriction devices (faucet and shower aerators) are considered non-permanent and easily tampered with/vandalized even if performance problems do not arise.

Barriers

• Code Issues• Fixture Availability/Performance• Client ‘Resistance’

Elongated Bowl Requirements“Figure 7 illustrates typical bowl-rim profiles, but dimensions of the rim are not

requirements of this Standard.”

CSA Approvals/Accessibility

• The waterless urinal has gone back and forth as an approved fixture… it is currently fully CSA approved (as of March)

• Toilet installations may need to take accessibility into account.

Fixture Performance• Many low flow toilets, faucets and

showers fail to perform adequately, ultra low flow are even less reliable.

• The fact that maintenance is ‘different’ on some water saving fixtures is an issue.

• Vandal proof fixtures are often a requirement (‘tankless’ dual flush toilets have only just become available).

Client Acceptance

Technology Adoption Curve

Innovators

“Exemplary Performance”• Innovation and Design Credits:• For WE Credit 2, exemplary performance

requires 100%(?) reduction in potable water use for wastewater (~ 2 projects achieved this)

• For WE Credit 3, the exemplary performance threshold is 40% less water use (~ 14 projects have achieved this credit).

• Other ID credits have been awarded for treated wastewater re-use, process water efficiency and fire system water reclamation (4 projects).