Through a series of circumstances, we are in the appeal process to try and meet WEp1. We have determined that we can either spend a significant amount of money to install two additional urinals in ADA single-user bathrooms, or reduce the automatic flow duration on lavatory faucets below the 12 second default. We previously had listed 8 seconds for the duration (and passed), but didn't justify it in our submittal, so the prereq was denied. Has anyone had success in justifying a duration other than the default on metered faucets? We were considering citing client request and a campus-wide average currently in place to justify it. We don't want to chance this though, as we are already in appeal. Thanks.

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Kathryn West

LEED AP BD+C, O+M, Green Globes Professional

JLL

LEEDuser Basic Member

112 thumbs up

Thu, 02/12/2015 - 14:35

I don't have any experience with that getting approved. I'm fairly certain they'd say 12 seconds is required for sufficient hand washing. I would not approve it and it would be very risky to submit. I believe they say this is a major no-no in the principles of LEED webinars. If you want more feedback Toto might have the best info. They had a faucet with a <12 second duration but LEED reviewers wouldn't let the duration be less than 12 seconds in the calcs. They had a good article in EDC magazine but it's no longer posted online. Best of luck.

Carlie Bullock-Jones

Principal

Ecoworks Studio

LEEDuser Expert

148 thumbs up

Thu, 02/12/2015 - 14:41

I would caution using anything below a 12 second duration in your appeal. The USGBC Water Use Additional Guidance states that durations less than this are not permitted for LEED calculations as shorter intervals are insufficient for typical hand washing. The direction of LEED (per v4) is also moving away from giving so much credit (in v2009) to metering faucets.

Denise Dauplaise

Architect

Berners-Schober Associates

LEEDuser Basic Member

4 thumbs up

Thu, 02/12/2015 - 14:43

Thanks for the input Kathryn and Carlie. That's exactly what we needed to know.

Michelle Robinson Schwarting

LEEDuser Basic Member

98 thumbs up

Thu, 02/12/2015 - 20:44

Yeah, I've never seen less than 12 seconds approved. (And I've always seen anything less than 12 seconds be questioned and be forced to change back to 12 sec.) You're already using 0.35 gpm aerators I assume? And dual flush toilets in those bathrooms?

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