View the LEED v4.1 version of this credit »
SPECIAL REPORT
LEEDuser expert
emily reese moody
LEED AP BD+C, GGP, GPCP, ENV SP, Fitwel Ambassador, GCP
Jacobs
Sustainability Director, Certifications & Compliance
SPECIAL REPORT
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
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce indoor water consumption.
Requirements
Building Water Use
For the fixtures and fittings listed in Table 1, as applicable to the project scope, reduce aggregate water consumption by 20% from the baseline. Base calculations on the volumes and flow rates shown in Table 1.
All newly installed toilets, urinals, private lavatory faucets, and showerheads that are eligible for labeling must be WaterSense labeled (or a local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.).
Projects where fixtures or fixture fittings are not within the tenant spaces are exempt from this prerequisite.
Table 1. Baseline water consumption of fixtures and fittings
| Commercial Fixtures, Fittings, and Appliances | Current Baseline (IP Units) | Current Baseline (SI units) |
|---|---|---|
| Water closets (toilets)* | 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) | 6 liters per flush (lpf) |
| Urinal* | 1.0 (gpf) | 3.8 lpf |
| Public lavatory (restroom) faucet | 0.5 gpm at 60 psi all others except private applications | 1.9 lpm at 415 kPa, all others except private applications |
| Private lavatory faucet* | 2.2 gpm at 60 psi | 8.3 lpm at 415 kPa |
| Kitchen faucet (excluding faucets used exclusively for filling operations) | 2.2 gpm at 60 psi | 8.3 lpm at 415 kPa |
| Showerhead* | 2.5 gpm at 80 psi per shower stall | 9.5 lpm at 550 kPa per shower stall |
| * WaterSense label available for this product type gpf = gallons per flush gpm = gallons per minute psi = pounds per square inch lpf = liters per flush lpm = liters per minute kPa = kilopascals |
||
Appliance and process water use
Install appliances, equipment, and processes within the project scope that meet the requirements listed in the tables below .
Table 2. Standards for appliances
| Appliance | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Residential clothes washers | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent |
| Commercial clothes washers | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent |
| Residential dishwashers (standard and compact) | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent |
| Prerinse spray valves | ≤ 1.3 gpm (4.9 lpm) |
| Ice machine | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent and use either air-cooled or closed-loop cooling, such as chilled or condenser water system |
gpm = gallons per minute
lpm = liters per minute
Table 3. Standards for processes
| Process | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Heat rejection and cooling | No once-through cooling with potable water for any equipment or appliances that reject heat |
| Cooling towers and evaporative condensers | Equip with:
|
In addition, water-consuming appliances, equipment, and processes must meet the requirements listed in Tables 4 and 5.
Table 4. Standards for appliances
| Kitchen equipment | Requirement (IP units) | Requirement (SI units) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher | Undercounter | ≤ 1.6 gal/rack | ≤ 6.0 liters/rack |
| Stationary, single tank, door | ≤ 1.4 gal/rack | ≤ 5.3 liters/rack | |
| Single tank, conveyor | ≤ 1.0 gal/rack | ≤ 3.8 liters/rack | |
| Multiple tank, conveyor | ≤ 0.9 gal/rack | ≤ 3.4liters/rack | |
| Flight machine | ≤ 180 gal/hour | ≤ 680 liters/hour | |
| Food steamer | Batch | ≤ 6 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 23 liters/hour/pan |
| Cook-to-order | ≤ 10 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 38 liters/hour/pan | |
| Combination oven | Countertop or stand | ≤ 3.5 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 13 liters/hour/pan |
| Roll-in | ≤ 3.5 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 13 liters/hour/pan | |
Table 5. Standards for processes
| Process | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Discharge water temperature tempering | Where local requirements limit discharge temperature of fluids into drainage system, use tempering device that runs water only when equipment discharges hot water OR Provide thermal recovery heat exchanger that cools drained discharge water below code-required maximum discharge temperatures while simultaneously preheating inlet makeup water OR If fluid is steam condensate, return it to boiler |
| Venturi-type flow-through vacuum generators or aspirators | Use no device that generates vacuum by means of water flow through device into drain |
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 »Frequently asked questions
|
Is the WaterSense label really required, even if a non-labeled fixture has a comparable flush or flow rate? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
Not all fixture types can get the WaterSense label. Which fixtures do we need to ensure have the WaterSense label for our project? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
How does the CEE Tier 3A criteria for commercial clothes washers compare to ENERGY STAR certified washers? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
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.
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.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce indoor water consumption.
Requirements
Building Water Use
For the fixtures and fittings listed in Table 1, as applicable to the project scope, reduce aggregate water consumption by 20% from the baseline. Base calculations on the volumes and flow rates shown in Table 1.
All newly installed toilets, urinals, private lavatory faucets, and showerheads that are eligible for labeling must be WaterSense labeled (or a local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.).
Projects where fixtures or fixture fittings are not within the tenant spaces are exempt from this prerequisite.
Table 1. Baseline water consumption of fixtures and fittings
| Commercial Fixtures, Fittings, and Appliances | Current Baseline (IP Units) | Current Baseline (SI units) |
|---|---|---|
| Water closets (toilets)* | 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) | 6 liters per flush (lpf) |
| Urinal* | 1.0 (gpf) | 3.8 lpf |
| Public lavatory (restroom) faucet | 0.5 gpm at 60 psi all others except private applications | 1.9 lpm at 415 kPa, all others except private applications |
| Private lavatory faucet* | 2.2 gpm at 60 psi | 8.3 lpm at 415 kPa |
| Kitchen faucet (excluding faucets used exclusively for filling operations) | 2.2 gpm at 60 psi | 8.3 lpm at 415 kPa |
| Showerhead* | 2.5 gpm at 80 psi per shower stall | 9.5 lpm at 550 kPa per shower stall |
| * WaterSense label available for this product type gpf = gallons per flush gpm = gallons per minute psi = pounds per square inch lpf = liters per flush lpm = liters per minute kPa = kilopascals |
||
Appliance and process water use
Install appliances, equipment, and processes within the project scope that meet the requirements listed in the tables below .
Table 2. Standards for appliances
| Appliance | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Residential clothes washers | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent |
| Commercial clothes washers | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent |
| Residential dishwashers (standard and compact) | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent |
| Prerinse spray valves | ≤ 1.3 gpm (4.9 lpm) |
| Ice machine | ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent and use either air-cooled or closed-loop cooling, such as chilled or condenser water system |
gpm = gallons per minute
lpm = liters per minute
Table 3. Standards for processes
| Process | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Heat rejection and cooling | No once-through cooling with potable water for any equipment or appliances that reject heat |
| Cooling towers and evaporative condensers | Equip with:
|
In addition, water-consuming appliances, equipment, and processes must meet the requirements listed in Tables 4 and 5.
Table 4. Standards for appliances
| Kitchen equipment | Requirement (IP units) | Requirement (SI units) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dishwasher | Undercounter | ≤ 1.6 gal/rack | ≤ 6.0 liters/rack |
| Stationary, single tank, door | ≤ 1.4 gal/rack | ≤ 5.3 liters/rack | |
| Single tank, conveyor | ≤ 1.0 gal/rack | ≤ 3.8 liters/rack | |
| Multiple tank, conveyor | ≤ 0.9 gal/rack | ≤ 3.4liters/rack | |
| Flight machine | ≤ 180 gal/hour | ≤ 680 liters/hour | |
| Food steamer | Batch | ≤ 6 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 23 liters/hour/pan |
| Cook-to-order | ≤ 10 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 38 liters/hour/pan | |
| Combination oven | Countertop or stand | ≤ 3.5 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 13 liters/hour/pan |
| Roll-in | ≤ 3.5 gal/hour/pan | ≤ 13 liters/hour/pan | |
Table 5. Standards for processes
| Process | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Discharge water temperature tempering | Where local requirements limit discharge temperature of fluids into drainage system, use tempering device that runs water only when equipment discharges hot water OR Provide thermal recovery heat exchanger that cools drained discharge water below code-required maximum discharge temperatures while simultaneously preheating inlet makeup water OR If fluid is steam condensate, return it to boiler |
| Venturi-type flow-through vacuum generators or aspirators | Use no device that generates vacuum by means of water flow through device into drain |
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 »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.
|
Is the WaterSense label really required, even if a non-labeled fixture has a comparable flush or flow rate? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
Not all fixture types can get the WaterSense label. Which fixtures do we need to ensure have the WaterSense label for our project? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
How does the CEE Tier 3A criteria for commercial clothes washers compare to ENERGY STAR certified washers? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
LEEDuser expert
emily reese moody
LEED AP BD+C, GGP, GPCP, ENV SP, Fitwel Ambassador, GCP
Jacobs
Sustainability Director, Certifications & Compliance