The credit compares the total amount of alteration or addition construction waste leaving the project site to the amount that is diverted from landfills and incineration.  Note: If you focus only on recycling, you might miss other waste-diversion opportunities, including reuse, donation, and salvage.

Alterations or additions must occur during the LEED performance period to qualify your project for this credit. Start by determining if any are likely to occur. You can also extend the performance period back up to two years to capture qualifying activities.

Make sure your facility alteration and addition activities qualify as an alteration or addition based on LEED definitions, which follow in the table below.

Train cleaning and operations staff to maintain atypical fixtures such as waterless urinals, faucet sensors and other unconventional fixtures. 

Consider installing permanent water metering for ongoing monitoring of the project’s water use. A submetering system can help operations staff detect problems early and facilitate future LEED-EBOM certification.

Provide building managers with manuals and guidance for all fixtures and fittings, water-reuse technologies, onsite water treatment systems and unconventional products.

Make sure supply pipes carrying non-potable water are clearly color-coded and labeled to avoid inadvertent connection with potable water lines.

The contractor should ensure that the correct fixtures have been purchased and that applicable water reuse systems or specified metering systems have been installed.  

Fill out the LEED Online credit form and upload water fixture cut sheets to LEED Online. 

Apply for any water-reduction incentives and rebates available through local municipal water authorities or utilities.