Can a project still earn 4 points under option 2 if a cistern has potable water backup? Could we demonstrate that it wouldn't be used through the path 1 calculations?
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William Weaver
LEED Fellow, WELL APJLL
181 thumbs up
August 19, 2013 - 11:31 am
The cistern can not have a permanent potable water backup and still count. If the backup is temporary - let's say, installed only for a specified time for plant establishment - then it may contribute. But, if you install a permanent potable water backup system, it will negate your ability to achieve the points.
Carlie Bullock-Jones
PrincipalEcoworks Studio
LEEDuser Expert
220 thumbs up
August 19, 2013 - 12:07 pm
Hi Heather,
Will is correct. Also, I don't believe a potable water backup system to the cistern would be an acceptable temporary irrigation system, primarily because there is no way to ensure that the system will be disconnected at the end of the landscape establishment period. If helpful, note that LEED Interpretations 2207, 5766 and 5962 address acceptable temporary irrigation strategies.
Michelle Robinson Schwarting
Re:Vision Architecture139 thumbs up
April 22, 2014 - 12:30 pm
LEED Interpreation ID#998 from 2005 was update October 1, 2013. It says "The approach of designing rainwater storage for a "normal" rainfall year and providing potable water as backup is acceptable," and "this ruling has been made applicable to WEc1 in LEED v2009." (http://www.usgbc.org/leed-interpretations?keys=998) So it looks like a potable water back up is now acceptable!
(I guess that means the "Bird's Eye View" for this credit above needs to be revised now?)
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11474 thumbs up
April 22, 2014 - 2:54 pm
Good catch, Michelle! I've updated our LEEDuser guidance above and referenced that LI.