We are running preliminary water calculations to verify that we meet the WEp1 requirements.
The project will have 2 usage groups, the homeless patrons and the staff. The homeless residents will have 2 bathrooms that they will use, which will include stainless steel penal fixtures, and the staff will have a separate bathroom they will use.
The homeless shelter will be open for the homeless from 3pm to 8am. At no time will anyone other than the staff be in the shelter between 8am and 3pm.
Our question is what designation do we need to consider the non-staff, would we count them as residents or an FTE?
Thanks!
Michelle Robinson Schwarting
148 thumbs up
November 6, 2013 - 8:33 pm
I would expect the non-staff would be "residents" since I imagine they'll be showering there and everything as if that were their home.
I think you could make an argument for lower toilet uses, though, since there won't be any "residents" there for 7/24ths of the day (residents only present for less than 3/4 of the day but more than 2/3 of the day...) Of course in a "typical" residence, there's no one home for 8+ hours/day while they're off at work or at school... So perhaps there's no difference...
You could always run the calcs both ways (full "resident" usage vs. 3/4 resident usage). As long as you meet your water savings goal both ways, make a note on the LEED form as to what you assumed, why you assumed it, and that you ran the calcs the other way as well and what the water savings would be then. That would be your safest approach I think.