Hello,
The project I am working on will re-use a significant percentage of its wastewater for irrigation purposes.
Wastewater will go to a municipal wastewater treatment facility, where it will undergo treatment to meet local and international water quality standards. Treated water will then be pumped back into an irrigation-specific water distribution network.
I think this meets the intent of GIB C14 because (a) pollution from wastewater will be reduced (there is no current wastewater treatment in the town I am working) and (b) water will be reused, probably to the 2 point threshold (50% of generated volume re-used).
However, there are a couple ways in which this strategy may not meet the reference guide requirements: (a) the new wastewater treatment plant is being built outside the project boundary as a separate project, (b) the treatment plant is not only linked to my LEED ND project, but to the whole municipality (c) it will not be possible to say that the exact wastewater generated in my project will be what is pumped back through the distribution network, as the treatment plant will also receive wastewater from the rest of the town. We can estimate volumes out and volumes back in, though.
My project's strategy does not appear to meet options 2 or 3 of the pilot Sustainable Wastewater Management credit.
Any thoughts? Could this strategy successfully apply for GIB C14? Would it require a CIR? Or is it a different type of strategy that requires an innovation (IDP) credit?
Thank you much as always,
Daniel
Eliot Allen
LEED AP-ND, PrincipalCriterion Planners
LEEDuser Expert
303 thumbs up
April 11, 2012 - 10:45 am
Daniel, the requirements language stipulates that wastewater be retained "onsite" and that treatment for reuse occur "onsite," so you'd have to try a CIR for the municipal approach. I'm not sure an innovation credit proposal would work since there are many municipal reuse systems in operation, and GIBc14 is already covering the topic. Regarding pilot credit 10/Sustainable Wastewater Mgmt, only Option 3 is available for ND projects.
Eliot
Daniel Costantino
Urban Planner, LEED AP NDEcology & Environment, Inc.
69 thumbs up
April 11, 2012 - 10:47 am
Elliot: Thanks for the response!
To clarify: the level of treatment and type of reuse proposed are unprecedented in the country I am working in. Does this change your assessment on CIR vs. IDP?
Also, do you think not going for onsite treatment would seriously compromise the CIR?
Thanks,
Daniel
Eliot Allen
LEED AP-ND, PrincipalCriterion Planners
LEEDuser Expert
303 thumbs up
April 11, 2012 - 11:00 am
Daniel, sorry, I didn't realize you're outside the U.S., in which case both a CIR and IDP take on different prospects since the ND credit was written for U.S. projects. I can't recommend a CIR vs IDP or predict outcomes, but you could try one first and if that fails try the other.
Eliot
Daniel Costantino
Urban Planner, LEED AP NDEcology & Environment, Inc.
69 thumbs up
April 11, 2012 - 11:12 am
Thanks, Eliot!I will continue my inquiries with our internal staff and contacts.