All steamers must be boilerless. Research compliant products that also meet the water efficiency standards.

Ice machines must not only meet water-efficiency requirements, but they must not be water-cooled. This is part of the credit language, athough it is easy to overlook. 

To follow the prescriptive path, choose four of these five equipment types and meet the given water use requirements.

Clothes washers: 7.5 gallons/ft3/cycle
Dishwashers: 1.0 gallons/rack
Ice machines: For greater than 175 lbs. per day, 20 gallons per 100 lbs. For less than 175 lbs., 30 gallons per 100 lbs. 
Food steamers: 2 gallons/hour
Pre-rinse spray valves: 1.4 gallons/minute

Research process equipment that meets the water usage requirements for this credit. Find out what is on the market and what makes the most sense for your project. Most projects find compliant products relatively easy to find, but it may require some flexibility. For example, one school had trouble finding a compliant 12-tray food steamer, but were able to purchase two compliant 6-tray food steamers.

Earning this credit can lead to not only reduced water and sewer bills, but may also reduce gas and electric bills due to reduced water heating and pumping.

Refrigeration equipment that uses once-through cooling with potable water must be eliminated. Discuss this with your project’s mechanical engineer and kitchen consultant to determine the availability of compliant refrigeration equipment. Generally, this is an easy requirement to meet.  

A food pulper or other food waste reduction system that pulverizes food and separates out the solids from the water can allow schools to eliminate garbage disposals and still limit the amount of food waste created. Solid waste can be reduced by up to 80%, and the remaining food waste can be composted or sent to the landfill. 

Some schools may be hesitant to eliminate garbage disposals in their kitchens and science classrooms because of their ease and convenience in dealing with wastes such as dissection projects. Host a discussion about the garbage disposal issue with school personnel early in your planning process. Most school staff can be convinced to eliminate the garbage disposals once an acceptable alternative has been proposed. 

Onsite composting at the school is a great way for students to learn about waste, biology, and the environment. Schools can also add a garden project to make use of their composted food waste.

Determine whether composting service with curbside pickup is available, or if the school is interested in onsite composting. Schools may also choose to throw away food scraps (or donate to pig farmers, if in the area) instead of using garbage disposals to meet this credit, but composting is the environmentally preferred method for managing food waste.