Many buildings already have meters in place that measure whole-building potable water use and therefore satisfy this prerequisite. Those projects simply need to record meter readings monthly, compile performance period water use, and commit to sharing water data with USGBC for five years in order to meet the remaining requirements of this prerequisite. 

If your project doesn’t have water metering in place or shares a meter with another building, you must install a meter that measures water use for the LEED project building. There are no special requirements for the meter type except that it must be permanent. Remember that compliant metering needs to be in place for the entire performance period, so it’s important to time your meter installation and performance period appropriately.

What’s New in LEED v4

• This is a new prerequisite.

Readiness Review Questions

• Is metering currently in place to determine the total water consumption of the project building and grounds, either in the form of a single overall meter or multiple submeters?
• If not, can additional metering be installed?
• How frequently is water consumption data currently recorded and by whom? The prerequisite requires a monthly reading, at minimum. Should automatic loggers or manual readings be used to satisfy this requirement?
• Can the project commit to sharing water data with USGBC for five years?