I am seeking clarification on the difference between "public" and "private" lavatory faucets under UPC 2006. My office/industrial building has 2.2 gpm faucets in both single-use and multi-stall bathrooms. The building is not open to the public; it is fairly well secured and you need a badge to get in. However, the employees all use the facility, as do visitors/contractors/customers. I am wondering two things: (1) Are all of these bathrooms considered public or private under UPC 2006 and (2) What are the specific definitions of "public" and "private"? Thank you!
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Dan Ackerstein
PrincipalAckerstein Sustainability, LLC
LEEDuser Expert
819 thumbs up
May 3, 2010 - 6:23 pm
A 'private' lavatory is, as I understand it, found in a residential setting. Most lavatories owned/operated by a commercial building or institutional owner would be considered public lavatories and held to the 0.5gpm standard. The lavatories you describe are almost certainly public lavatories in this regard.
Dianne Herrin
Vice PresidentPractical Energy Solutions
19 thumbs up
May 3, 2010 - 6:49 pm
That's what I thought. There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding out there about this. Thanks for your help.
Jason Franken
Sustainability ProfessionalLEEDuser Expert
608 thumbs up
May 3, 2010 - 9:16 pm
This is absolutely correct. The only time when you may have a private lavatory in a non-residential setting is for something like an executive washroom attached to a CEO's office. Ultimately, the best rule of thumb for defining a private lavatory is if it used exclusively by a single person on a daily basis. Anything else will be a public lavatory.
Yong Lee Low
ESD ConsultancyZEB-Technology Pte Ltd
179 thumbs up
June 25, 2010 - 1:48 am
My project is a resort.Does it mean that all faucets in the resort guest room are private.What about the faucets in the common areas?Please advice.
Jason Franken
Sustainability ProfessionalLEEDuser Expert
608 thumbs up
July 1, 2010 - 9:41 am
Yes, in a hotel/resort setting, the faucets in guest rooms are considered private lavatory faucets and the ones in common spaces and back-of-house spaces are considered public lavatory faucets. If any of the hotel staff have access to their own private restroom, meaning they are the only employee who uses that restroom on a daily basis, those would also be considered private lavatory faucets.
Sarah Almutairi
December 9, 2021 - 12:28 am
What about lavatory in a bank, that is only used by the four employees? Wouldnt that be consideded private, as it is the same people who use it.
Emily Purcell
Sustainable Design LeadCannonDesign
LEEDuser Expert
371 thumbs up
December 9, 2021 - 9:30 am
That would be public. I think a slightly better way to phrase the rule of thumb is that private restrooms are ones that are used like a residential restroom. A hotel guest room faucet will be used to wash hands and face, brush teeth, and fill a glass of water, so it is private. The bank lavatory, even though very few people are using it, will be used to wash hands only, so it is public.