Log in

Search form

LEED v2009
Existing Building Operations
Water Efficiency
Minimum Indoor Plumbing Fixture and Fitting Efficiency

LEED CREDIT

EBOM-2009 WEp1: Minimum Indoor Plumbing Fixture and Fitting Efficiency Required

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Credit achievement rate

XX%

Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Dan Ackerstein

Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Reduce potable water use of indoor plumbing fixtures and fittings to a level equal to or below the LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance baseline, calculated assuming 100% of the building’s indoor plumbing fixtures and fittings meet the plumbing code requirements as stated in the 2006 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) or International Plumbing Code (IPC) pertaining to fixture and fitting performance [Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent]. Fixtures and fittings included in the calculations for this credit are water closets, urinals, showerheads, faucets, faucet replacement aerators and metering faucets. The LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance water use baseline is set depending on the year of substantial completion of the building’s indoor plumbing system. Substantial completion is defined as either initial building construction or the last plumbing renovation of all or part of the building that included 100% retrofit of all plumbing fixtures and fittings as part of the renovation. Set the baseline as follows:

  • For a plumbing system substantially completed in 1994 or later throughout the building, the baseline is 120% of the water use that would result if all fixtures met the codes cited above.
  • For a plumbing system substantially completed before 1994 throughout the building, the baseline is 160% of the water use that would result if all fixtures met the codes cited above.
If indoor plumbing systems were substantially completed at different times (because the plumbing renovations occurred at different times in different parts of the building), Set a whole-building average baseline by prorating between the above limits. Prorate based on the proportion of plumbing fixtures installed during the plumbing renovations in each date period, as explained in the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Operations & Maintenance, 2009 Edition. Pre-1994 buildings that have had only minor fixture retrofits (e.g., aerators, showerheads, flushing valves) but no plumbing renovations in or after 1994 may use the 160% baseline for the whole building. Demonstrate fixture and fitting performance through calculations to compare the water use of the as installed fixtures and fittings with the use of UPC- or IPC-compliant fixtures and fittings, or alternatives for Europe as explained in the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Operations & Maintenance, 2009 Edition [Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent]. Develop and implement a policy requiring economic assessment of conversion to high-performance plumbing fixtures and fittings as part of any future indoor plumbing renovation. The assessment must account for potential water supply and disposal cost savings and maintenance cost savings [Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent].

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

UPC-IPC">Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent
Projects in Europe may use the values defined by European Standards. [view:embed_resource=page_1=2740840]
Credit substitution available
You may use the LEED v4 version of this credit on v2009 projects. For more information check out this article.
See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Addenda

4/2/2014 – Updated: 4/1/2015
Regional ACP
Description of change:
Under Requirements, add the following sentence in the first paragraph: “Projects in Europe may use values defined by European Standards.”

Under Requirements, revise the second to last paragraphs: “Demonstrate fixture and fitting performance through calculations to compare the water use of the as-installed fixtures and fittings with the use of UPC- or IPC-compliant fixtures and fittings, or alternatives for Europe as explained in the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Operations & Maintenance, 2009 Edition.”

Deleted the following table: Europe Standards and Well Standards.

Under "Potential Technologies & Strategies" revise: “or the requirements for Europe listed in the table” to: “or the alternatives for Europe listed above.”
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
11/2/2009 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the table with two tables as indicated in the supplemental documentation. (Note that this table was updated again on February 2, 2011)
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
2/2/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Add in the following section:Eligible FixturesThis prerequisite is limited to savings generated by the following water using fixtures and fixture fittings as applicable to the project: water closets, urinals, lavatory faucets, showers, kitchen sink faucets and pre-rinse spray valves, as shown in Table 1. The "Kitchen sinks" category encompasses all sinks in public or private buildings that are used with patterns and purposes similar to a sink in a residential kitchen; break room sinks would be included. However professional grade / commercial faucets such as those used in a commercial kitchen would not be included. The "Public lavatory faucets" and "Private lavatory faucets" categories encompass all sinks used primarily for hand-washing regardless of location. Faucets whose usage patterns and flow rates are regulated for medical or industrial purposes (e.g. laboratory sinks) and do not fall under the definition of private or public use are not included. Faucets used exclusively for filling operations (e.g. pot-filler) can be excluded. All other fixtures and fixtures fittings must be included in the calculations unless there are special circumstances that justify excluding them.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the resource "Water Closet Performance Testing," with the following:Water Studieshttp://www.ebmud.com/resource-center/publications/studiesThe site provides a variety of studies related to water.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/1/2013 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Autocontrol faucet baseline Addenda (all rating systems). In the 2/2/2011 Addenda, replace the baseline in the related note below table with “Default duration for the metering type / autocontrol lavatory faucet is 0.25 gallons per cycle (gpc) for the baseline case and 12 seconds for the design case.”
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the seventh row of the table in the "Flow Fixture" column, replace "Low-flow shower" with "WaterSense shower"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
5/9/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Remove the paragraph beginning with, "Although water-efficient dishwashers..."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the section, replace the three instances of "1993" with "1994"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the resource "U.S. EPA, Watersense," underline the website "http://www.epa.gov/watersense/."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/1/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
At the end of the section, insert the following text as a new paragraph:"For hospitality projects, fixture usage groups generally include a usage group for guest rooms and a usage group for common areas and back of house. For the purposes of the credit calculations, assume that hotel guests use the fixtures and fittings in their room, employees use back of house and / or common areas, and transient guests use common area restrooms."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the paragraph with the following:In certain cases, faucets with low-flow rates are not appropriate. Forexample, in kitchen sinks, faucets are used to fill pots and buckets.Using a low-flow rate for tasks where the volume of water ispredetermined does not save water and will likely cause userdissatisfaction and inefficiencies. Consider alternative strategies toreduce water use, such as installing special-use pot fillers and faucets orfoot pedal-operated faucets.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/14/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the fourth bulleted item, replace the text "WE Credit 4: Cooling Tower Water Management" with "WE Credit 4.1: Cooling Tower Water Management - Chemical Management" and, below as a new line, "WE Credit 4.2: Cooling Tower Water Management - Nonpotable Water Source Use"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Remove the following text:Fine Homebuilding Choosing a Toilethttp://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/h00042.aspThis article includes several varieties of water-efficient toilets.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the definition of "graywater" with "Graywater is untreated household waste water which has not come into contact with toilet waste. Graywater typically includes used water from bathtubs, showers, bathroom wash basins, and water from clothes-washer and laundry tubs, though definitions may vary. Some states and local authorities also allow kitchen sink wastewater to be included in graywater. Project teams should comply with the graywater definition established by the authority having jurisdiction in the project area."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/2/2009 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the eighth row of the table in the "Fixture" column, remove the text "and janitor" so it becomes "Kitchen sink faucets"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the first line of the first paragraph, remove the word "potable"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the first sentence with "Private or private use applies to plumbing fixtures in residences, apartments, and dormitories, to private (non-public) bathrooms in transient lodging facilities (hotels and motels), and to private bathrooms in hospitals and nursing facilities."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
In the section, replace the three instances of "1993" with "1994"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the seventh row of the table in the "Flow Rate" column, replace "1.8 gpm" with "? 2.0 gpm"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
2/2/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the sixth row ("Lavatory Faucet") row of the table in the 11/2/2009 addenda, replace the duration (sec) of 15 with 30
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Remove the following text:U.S. EPA, Water Use Efficiency Programhttp://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiencyThis website provides an overview of EPA\'s Water Use EfficiencyProgram and information about using water more efficiently.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the fifth row of the table in the "Flow rate" column, replace "1.8 gpm" with ""? 2.2 gpm"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/1/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
After the first paragraph, insert the following text as a new paragraph:"For lodging projects, FTE and transient occupants are calculated per the typical methodology for the respective occupancy types. Hotel guests may be determined based on the number and size of guest room units in the project. Generally, assume 1.5 occupants per guest room and multiply the resulting total by 60% (average hotel occupancy per American Hotel & Lodging Association information) to determine the total number of hotel guests. Alternatively, occupants may be derived from actual historical occupancy numbers. Fixture use assumptions for hotel guests follow the fixture assumptions for residential occupants. Accordingly, lavatories located in guest rooms are considered to be private lavatories. Additionally, day use guests at the hotel should be included in the value for transient / visitor occupants and are assumed to use common area restrooms. Per typical fixture use assumptions, this category of occupants assumes zero shower uses throughout the day. Example: 123 room hotelTotal Hotel Guests = 123*1.5 * 60%Total Hotel Guests = 111"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the fourth row of the table in the "EPA WaterSense Standards" column, replace "1.5 - 2.0^b" with "2.0^b"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the resource "Rocky Mountain Institute, Water," replace the text below the resource header with the following:http://www.rmi.org/rmi/pid172This portion of RMI\'s website is devoted to water resource efficiency.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/1/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Insert the following paragraph at the bottom of the page:"For hospitality projects, commercial kitchen sinks and bar sinks including pot sinks, prep sinks, wash down, and cleaning sinks are considered process water and are not included in the water use calculations. Hand washing sinks located in commercial kitchen areas that do not pass through a grease interceptor should be included in the water use calculations under the kitchen sink category."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In footnote "b," replace "2.0 gmp" with "2.0 gpm"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the first line of the second paragraph, remove the word "potable"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/19/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In alphabetical order, insert the following text:Alliance for Water Efficiencyhttp://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/The Alliance for Water Efficiency provides information and assistance onwater conservation efforts.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the first sentence with, "Blackwater is wastewater containing urine or fecal matter that should be discharged to the sanitary drainage system of the building or premises in accordance with the International Plumbing Code."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
5/9/2011
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

The installation of bedside patient care units, which is a combined toilet and lavatory, is required for some patient rooms. Can the patient care unit be excluded from the calculations since there are no low-flow options available?

Ruling:

All fixtures that are covered by the EPAct 1992 must be included in the credit calculations, even if there are no low-flow options available. The use of these fixtures by only the patients in a limited area can be factored into the calculations.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/1/2012
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Can a LEED-NC project without eligible water fixtures be exempt from WEp1 Water Use Reduction?

Ruling:

A project without eligible water fixtures in the LEED-NC project boundary is exempt from WEp1. Should such a project wish to pursue points under WE Credit 3, they may do so by evaluating WEc3 performance based upon all of the fixtures that are necessary to meet the needs of the project occupants, even if they are located outside the project boundary.
**Update October 1, 2012: Has been made applicable to LEED for Schools v2007 and v2009.
**Update October 1, 2013: Applicable credits were updated. This ruling does not apply to Core and Shell projects.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/1/2012
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Can municipally supplied treated seawater for toilet flushing be used as a strategy for earning WEp1 and WEc1 Water Use Reduction?

Ruling:

Update October 20, 2016: See the updated “Water Use Reduction Additional Guidance” document for new guidance on applying seawater or municipal wastewater to v2009 Water Efficiency credits.

Update October 1, 2013
Note that LEED Interpretation 10117 has been updated to clarify that seawater must be treated to appropriate levels for non-potable uses in order to apply to WEc2 Innovative Wastewater Technologies; seawater that is treated to potable drinking water standards would not apply. Any on-site energy use to desalinate the seawater must be included in the EAp2/c1 calculations. Refer to the guidance document. Applicability of Seawater in Water Efficiency credits also updated.

Original ruling July 1, 2012
No, municipally supplied sources of non-potable water, including seawater, are not applicable to the WE fixture water use reduction credits, including WEp1 (D+C, EBOM) and WEc1 (CI) Water Use Reduction, or considered graywater. As stated in LI 1551 (12/12/2006) This credit focuses on fixture efficiency and on-site water reuse. In addition, the Water Use Reduction Additional Guidance document (updated 8/16/2010, http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6493), confirms that the focus of the pre-requisite is water efficiency of the installed fixtures, regardless of the water source, and only on-site water reuse is available as an alternative compliance path.
However, municipally treated wastewater (including treated seawater) applies to SSc1 - Path 9 Innovative Wastewater Technologies (CI), WEc2, Innovative Wastewater Technologies (BD+C), and can be used if the two conditions of LEED Interpretation 10117 are met: 1) the seawater is municipally supplied or explicitly approved by the municipality and 2) meets all applicable codes and permitting requirements, so as not to contaminate the municipal wastewater system with high salinity. For EBOM projects, where no wastewater credit is available, the project may apply for innovation credit for use of this strategy."

----------
10/1/13 notes: revise ruling and update resource: http://www.usgbc.org/resources/seawater-guidance

No, municipally supplied sources of non-potable water, including seawater, are not applicable to the WE fixture water use reduction credits, including WEp1 (D+C, EBOM) and WEc1 (CI) Water Use Reduction, or considered graywater. As stated in LI 1551 (12/12/2006) This credit focuses on fixture efficiency and on-site water reuse. In addition, the Water Use Reduction Additional Guidance document (updated 8/16/2010, http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6493), confirms that the focus of the prerequisite is water efficiency of the installed fixtures, regardless of the water source, and only on-site water reuse is available as an alternative compliance path.

However, municipally treated wastewater (including treated seawater) applies to SSc1 - Path 9 Innovative Wastewater Technologies (CI), WEc2, Innovative Wastewater Technologies (BD+C), and can be used if the two conditions of LEED Interpretation 10117 are met: 1) the seawater is municipally supplied or explicitly approved by the municipality and 2) meets all applicable codes and permitting requirements, so as not to contaminate the municipal wastewater system with high salinity. For EBOM projects, where no wastewater credit is available, the project may apply for innovation credit for use of this strategy.

**Update October 1, 2013: Note that LEED Interpretation 10117 has been updated to clarify that seawater must be treated to appropriate levels for non-potable uses in order to apply to WEc2 Innovative Wastewater Technologies; seawater that is treated to potable drinking water standards would not apply. Any on-site energy use to desalinate the seawater must be included in the EAp2/c1 calculations. Refer to the guidance document. Applicability of Seawater in Water Efficiency credits also updated

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Checklists

Step by step to LEED certification

LEEDuser’s checklists walk you through the key action steps you need to earn a credit, including how to avoid common pitfalls and save money.

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

Credit achievement rate

XX%

Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Dan Ackerstein

Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal

Get the inside scoop

Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Reduce potable water use of indoor plumbing fixtures and fittings to a level equal to or below the LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance baseline, calculated assuming 100% of the building’s indoor plumbing fixtures and fittings meet the plumbing code requirements as stated in the 2006 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) or International Plumbing Code (IPC) pertaining to fixture and fitting performance [Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent]. Fixtures and fittings included in the calculations for this credit are water closets, urinals, showerheads, faucets, faucet replacement aerators and metering faucets. The LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance water use baseline is set depending on the year of substantial completion of the building’s indoor plumbing system. Substantial completion is defined as either initial building construction or the last plumbing renovation of all or part of the building that included 100% retrofit of all plumbing fixtures and fittings as part of the renovation. Set the baseline as follows:

  • For a plumbing system substantially completed in 1994 or later throughout the building, the baseline is 120% of the water use that would result if all fixtures met the codes cited above.
  • For a plumbing system substantially completed before 1994 throughout the building, the baseline is 160% of the water use that would result if all fixtures met the codes cited above.
If indoor plumbing systems were substantially completed at different times (because the plumbing renovations occurred at different times in different parts of the building), Set a whole-building average baseline by prorating between the above limits. Prorate based on the proportion of plumbing fixtures installed during the plumbing renovations in each date period, as explained in the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Operations & Maintenance, 2009 Edition. Pre-1994 buildings that have had only minor fixture retrofits (e.g., aerators, showerheads, flushing valves) but no plumbing renovations in or after 1994 may use the 160% baseline for the whole building. Demonstrate fixture and fitting performance through calculations to compare the water use of the as installed fixtures and fittings with the use of UPC- or IPC-compliant fixtures and fittings, or alternatives for Europe as explained in the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Operations & Maintenance, 2009 Edition [Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent]. Develop and implement a policy requiring economic assessment of conversion to high-performance plumbing fixtures and fittings as part of any future indoor plumbing renovation. The assessment must account for potential water supply and disposal cost savings and maintenance cost savings [Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent].

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

UPC-IPC">Europe ACP: UPC-IPC Equivalent
Projects in Europe may use the values defined by European Standards. [view:embed_resource=page_1=2740840]
Credit substitution available
You may use the LEED v4 version of this credit on v2009 projects. For more information check out this article.

XX%

Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »

Got the gist of WEp1 but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Premium members get:

  • Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
  • Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
  • Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
  • Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
  • All checklists organized by project phase.
  • On-the-fly suggestions of useful items from the Documentation Toolkit and Credit Language.

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Dan Ackerstein

Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC
Principal

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Unsubscribe from discussions about EBOM-2009 WEp1