Use native, drought-resistant species in place of turf grass. Convert portions of the site to natural areas that do not require landscaping or additional irrigation. Replace annuals with native or adaptive perennials that require less water. Introduce native understory plants rather than grass turf under trees to reduce the need for additional irrigation.
Weather-based controls carry a minimal cost and will reduce excessive water use and overall maintenance costs. A drip-irrigation system would also reduce water use while requiring a low to moderate investment.
Eliminating potable water used for irrigation on the entire site or at least a portion of it is an effective strategy for earning this credit. Consider whether your area gets enough rainfall to provide an acceptable amount of natural irrigation.
Conduct a walk-through of the irrigation system while it is in operation. Look for broken or leaking pipes or sprinkler heads, and sprinklers spraying on sidewalks, roads, and buildings. Fixing these problems can be easy and offers immediate savings.
Assess current irrigation levels, compare with the calculated LEED baseline and identify opportunities for reduction. Collaborate with landscape maintenance contractors, irrigation system vendors, or landscape architects for best results.
Establish the LEED baseline for irrigation water consumption using historic metering data, empirical calculations or theoretical calculations, or an independent irrigation performance and ranking tool. Procedures for performing these calculations are described in the LEED-EBOM Reference Guide.
