Check for local incentives through municipalities and utilities that reward or encourage water-saving strategies—as well as restrictions that may apply. Rebates are common, as are plumbing codes restricting certain water-savings technologies such as waterless urinals, graywater
Check local codes and restrictions. Throughout the U.S. there are widely varying laws addressing water use, and many states have very different approaches to rainwater collection and greywater/blackwater
Consider occupants when debating whether to use graywater or waterless and/or dual-flush fixtures. Cultural perceptions of these types of applications may need to be evaluated to gauge whether they will be successful in your building. It is also a good idea to have education outreach in order for building occupants to know how to use the new fixtures and to understand the importance of water reduction strategies.
Well and pond water are not considered “reused” for the purposes of this credit and must count as potable water—so you don’t get credit for substituting them for conventional water sources. Water types that do count as reused are:
Consider replacing potable water use with alternative sources such as collected graywater, rainwater, municipally supplied treated wastewater, or wastewater treated onsite for reuse.
Are composting toilets an option? While not common, composting toilets are waterless fixtures that go a long way toward achieving this credit. However, they do affect programming and layout, so consider them early in the planning stage.
When water-efficient fixtures first appeared in the 1990s, they often didn’t perform very well, creating a lot of doubts that still may be harbored by some project team members. Research and development as well as new testing protocols have really changed things since then, so make sure these doubts are put to rest. Providing hands-on experience with efficient fixtures by visiting another LEED building is a good way to do this.
