Default fixture usage - showers in a swimming pool facility

LOL! Perhaps it should be considered a process water usage...As for the staff, the figure will fit, but for visitors, 10% is clearly wrong as you say. Ask USGBC how you should do this with the available LEEDonline system. I don't think it is possible.

I am experiencing the same challenge. Have you discovered any answers to this question yet? Thanks!

the weird thing is that if you just follow the water use reduction guidelines they don't critique your methodology... even if it's obvious that some variable was not accounted for. I had a stadium where people weren't showering much... according to my WEp1 template. Pretty frustrating. I am experiencing a similar situation now with an office building with water closets in the gym area. They will be used by FTE but will probably only be used for one of the FTE's 3 daily visits to the loo. If the fixtures were the same as elsewhere in the building it would be a non-issue but alas the water closets are unique in the gym area.

if you stick with the default uses it will probably fly with the reviewers because it follows the published guidance. If you're trying to document it more accurately then I'd suggest you write a very compelling narrative with good calculations! I've even gone so far as to record an explanation of how to read my excel spreadsheet (using screen-cast-o-matic)

I've had to change the default rates in many of my projects and as long as the narrative covers the deviation honestly, you should be okay. It isn't a big deal. Seems to me that the OP has an obvious case to change the showering rate. He may want to try and get better data from his clients and also see if they can confirm the duration of the showers.

are pool showers EPAct fixtures just like traditional showers? I know emergency eye wash stations aren't.... just a thought. Otherwise you're going to have to calculate a lot of non-default daily uses to get an accurate calculation.

*edit* this question may be relevant to the type of showers on the pool deck that people use before swimming but doesn't appear to relate to your project.

It may be the case that pool showers are not indended in the EPAct fixtures to be covered as "shower" fixtures, but it would be extremely contra the intent of LEED to caviat out these high usage fixtures where great potential environmental impact reduction exists. I also opt for Susan's comment. In some cases a project specific non-statistical usage assumtion is better than none, but try and find published pool shower usage figures.

I see your point. For LEEDv3 I was just re-reading the reference guide and it says that EPAct covered fixtures should be included. So I thought maybe non-EPAct fixtures could be justifiably excluded. Also LEEDv3 doesn't have a whole water approach.

Reflecting on it a bit more, I guess showers on a pool deck are very similar to showers you would use for bathing and are not similar to emergency eye wash stations.

Susan, did you increase the number of daily shower uses to be more than the number in the reference guide? I have no experience using a mathematically/logically sound but not written-in-the-rules number of daily shower uses. I didn't know that could be approved without a CIR.

I haven't seen any LEED Interpretations for places like gyms where the visitors are showering more than the reference guide numbers would suggest. Has anyone else?

With the scrutinous reviews I tend to stick to the water use reduction additional guidance 100%. However, maybe I was doing something wrong and should increase my daily shower uses for gyms/pool facilities if that's allowed? It just seems like an issue with everyone coming up with their own methodology since this is supposed to be a "standard." It would be nice if there was a published figure for the number of showers visitors to gyms or pools are expected to take.

The last project I had to change usage rates on we decreased the shower use and increased the toilet use for our 24 hour occupants. The project was an inpatient hospital with ICU use (thus the shower decrease) and inpatient treatments where the side effects are increase fluid production (thus the increased toilet use).

good to know, thank you for this helpful information!

My inclination is that these fixtures will be used differently than bathing showers, but with some frequency during pool months (in Chicago - 3 months out of the year). I plan on calculating a daily usage rate during those months, and extrapolating a yearly usage average to include this in the WEp1 calculator. Unfortunately the fixture selected is at 2.5 gpm whereas the bathing fixtures are 1.75 gpm. Thank you all for your thoughts!