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Explore this LEED credit
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce outdoor water consumption.
Requirements
Reduce outdoor water use through one of the following options. Nonvegetated surfaces, such as permeable or impermeable pavement, should be excluded from landscape area calculations. Athletic fields and playgrounds (if vegetated) and food gardens may be included or excluded at the project team’s discretion.
Option 1. No irrigation required (2 points)
Show that the landscape does not require a permanent irrigation system beyond a maximum two-year establishment period.
OR
Option 2. Reduced irrigation (2 points)
Reduce the project’s landscape water requirement (LWR) by at least 30% from the calculated baseline for the site’s peak watering month. Reductions must first be achieved through plant species selection and irrigation system efficiency as calculated in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense Water Budget Tool.
Additional reductions beyond 30% may be achieved using any combination of efficiency, alternative water sources, and smart scheduling technologies.
Table 1. Points for reducing irrigation water
| Percentage reduction from baseline | Points |
|---|---|
| 30% | 1 |
| 50% | 2 |
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
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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce outdoor water consumption.
Requirements
Reduce outdoor water use through one of the following options. Nonvegetated surfaces, such as permeable or impermeable pavement, should be excluded from landscape area calculations. Athletic fields and playgrounds (if vegetated) and food gardens may be included or excluded at the project team’s discretion.
Option 1. No irrigation required (2 points)
Show that the landscape does not require a permanent irrigation system beyond a maximum two-year establishment period.
OR
Option 2. Reduced irrigation (2 points)
Reduce the project’s landscape water requirement (LWR) by at least 30% from the calculated baseline for the site’s peak watering month. Reductions must first be achieved through plant species selection and irrigation system efficiency as calculated in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense Water Budget Tool.
Additional reductions beyond 30% may be achieved using any combination of efficiency, alternative water sources, and smart scheduling technologies.
Table 1. Points for reducing irrigation water
| Percentage reduction from baseline | Points |
|---|---|
| 30% | 1 |
| 50% | 2 |