The project team proposes to use a environmentally preferable cleaning solution, a handheld ionized tap water system, to eliminate or significantly reduce the amount of chemicals used within the project building.
The ionized water system works as follows:
1.When the spray bottle trigger is pressed, the water flows through a water cell that applies a slight electrical charge to the tap water.
2.The charged water passes through an ion exchange membrane, where the ionized water is separated into an oxygenated mixture of positively and negatively electrically charged nano-bubbles.
3.When applied directly to a surface, the ionized water helps break apart and lift the dirt from the surface like a magnet, enabling it to be wiped away.
4.Before the water exits the nozzle, a slight electric field is applied, allowing the water to carry a low-level electric field to the surface where the germs may be living. When used as directed with tap water in the majority of municipalities, this low-level electric field can kill more than 99.9 percent of harmful germs.
Using an ionized water cleaning system would no longer require purchase of many green cleaning chemicals; therefore, the project team has developed a new approach to documenting IEQc3.3. Rather than documenting that 30 percent of the products purchased meet the LEED sustainable cleaning criteria (by cost), the project team proposes to document the cleaning methods used during each cleaning shift. After each shift, the housekeeping personnel will document the cleaning methods and chemicals (or tap water if using the electrolyzed water system) used. Sustainable methods and chemicals that meet the LEED requirements for this alternative compliance approach will include either the use of chemicals that meet existing IEQc3.3 requirements or the use of ionized tap water.
An alternative compliance table will be created by the project team to account for criteria (with regard to performance vs. purchases) in order to demonstrate compliance with the SSc3.3 requirements.
"The project team seeks allowance to satisfy the credit requirements through the use of ionized tap water in lieu of chemical cleaning solutions. This is an acceptable approach if the following criteria are met:
•Manufacturer’s documentation of third-party performance testing is included with the credit submittal documentation. The testing should demonstrate performance comparable to Green Seal, Environmental Choice, or another standard equivalent to or more stringent than those required in IEQc3.3: Green Cleaning—Purchase of Sustainable Cleaning Products and Materials.
•If the device is marketed and used for antimicrobial cleaning, manufacturer’s testing must demonstrate antimicrobial performance comparable to EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) and Design for the Environment (DfE) requirements as appropriate for use patterns and marketing claims.
•A custodial effectiveness assessment is performed as outlined in IEQc3.2: Green Cleaning—Custodial Effectiveness Assessment.
•The typical performance metric (percentage of purchases based on cost) for evaluating compliance with this credit will not apply. The project team may show compliance with one of the following:
a) Showing, based on one year of historic cleaning chemical costs, that use of ionized tap water during the performance period has reduced the purchase of chemical cleaning and material products by at least 30%. Any changes in occupancy or other factors that vary between the baseline year and the performance period that affect the need for cleaning products must be accounted for in the analysis.
b. Tracking the total cost of all cleaning and material products purchased during the performance period, plus the amortized cost for the ionized water cleaning system (amortized over 12 months).
c) Tracking the total volume of cleaning and material products and ionized water used during the performance period and showing that 30% meets the existing IEQc3.3 criteria or is ionized tap water. Applicable internationally.
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