Green Buildings and LEED Training Advice
Expert Advice on Green Buildings

LEED WEp1: What if My Building Uses No Water?

 
Question:

Aaron asks: I have a project that wants to pursue LEED certification, but does not have any water usage. How can you document that you meet the prerequisite for 20% water reduction if there is no water use in the building?

Answer:
Advice provided by: Christine Caruso, LEED AP BD+C, Peter Caradonna Architecture and Planning PC
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Hi Aaron,

Thanks for your question.

Most buildings that have occupants are required by State or Local Code to have some sort of facilities which requires water use. So – in your case where you do not – it would be in your best interests to contact USGBC/GBCI.org, and ask if it’s worth pursuing LEED for your project and what the best way might be to approach it with their help.

I am sure that you will not be the first person to ask this question.

The Water Use Reduction Prerequisite is based off of several inputs for the calculations, such as FTE (full time employees) and Transient Occupants, Fixture Group inputs like toilets and urinals, the uploading of the floor plan showing these fixtures. You might be able to input all items with 0’s for actual usage, include the floor plan and in your narrative – discuss your unique situation about how there is no water use in the building.

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Expert Advice and Comments

The project is required to

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 09:13 — Michelle Robinson (not verified)

The project is required to have at least one occupant in order to pursue LEED certification. This person must use bathroom facilities somewhere. If no plumbing fixtures are installed within the project space, the "assigned" bathroom facilities would have to meet the prerequisite.

More info. on WEp1 is available from USGBC here:
http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6493

No water use on a LEED project

Tue, 01/31/2012 - 22:51 — Mohit (not verified)

Michelle,

Thanks for this bit of information regarding requiring perhaps an adjacent building's facilities (if its intention is to serve the occupants of the LEED building) to comply with the LEED water-use prerequisite if the LEED project itself does not have any water usage assigned to it.

Was wondering if this is stated explicitly someplace (CIR?) or whether you have personal experience with a similar situation?

Much appreciated!

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