The subject property of this CIR is a new, 135,000 SF, 140-unit, mixed-use residential building on a previously developed infill site. The project targets a minimum 40% water use reduction and has purposefully selected low-flow fixtures as the primary means to achieve this goal. The kitchen sink fixture is the focus of this CIR. The kitchen sink selected for the residential units was chosen for its low-flow performance, cost, ease of installation and compatibility with the unit design. The sink comes equipped with a flow rate limiter that can be adjusted to reduce the flow rate by 50%. The maximum flow rate is 2.5 gpm so, once adjusted, the flow will be reduced to 1.25 gpm. The product cut sheet provides detailed, step-by-step instructions and a diagram on how to make this adjustment. The adjustment requires removal of the sink lever and fixing screw and use of an allen wrench to adjust an internal screw, so it is highly unlikely that tenants would override any adjustment made during initial installation. This adjustment will be sufficient to exceed the overall project goal of minimum 40% water use reduction when coupled with the other selected low-flow fixtures. The architect and owner have mandated that the kitchen sink flow rate is adjusted to the minimum in each of the units during installation to reduce water use and earn an innovation point for exemplary performance of WEc3. To ensure that this flow-rate is realized, the architect will integrate these instructions, plus the product cutsheet, into Part 3 ("Execution") of Division 15 ("Mechanical") of the project specifications (we can send the USGBC the cutsheet to faciliate review if desired). As the project\'s LEED consultant, we will also review this requirement and installation procedure at our scheduled contractor kickoff meeting, which will take place prior to the start of construction. Lastly, if the USGBC desires, the owner may provide a written commitment to verify that the adjustment was made through post-installation sampling and to provide corrective measures if the sampling fails. Are these mechanisms sufficient to verify to the USGBC that the kitchen sinks will perform at 1.25 gpm, rather than 2.5 gpm, and to enable this performance as the entry in the WEc3 LEED-NC 2.2 Submittal Template? If so, what documentation is required in addition to the product cutsheet to supplement the LEED Submittal Template?
The method described to document water-flow restrictors is in general appropriate, however, in this case, the WE TAG does not feel that this strategy is worthy of an innovation credit for exemplary performance beyond WEc3. Kitchen sink faucets are used to fill pots among other things. Expecting tenants to use 1.25 gpm faucet flows to fill pots will cause frustration and lead to tenant attempts to readjust to higher flow rates. Earning LEED points should not result in dissatisfaction and frustration which will reflect back on the LEED product. It is strongly recommend to keep the kitchen faucets at 2.5 gpm and to use alternate strategies., such as foot pedal operated faucets to reduce water use without causing dissatisfaction.