EW C3: Water Efficiency + Resilient Water + Landscapes – Above Green

(1-45 points)

INTENT

Conserve water and improve water availability for human and ecological use. Improve the integration of human development with the natural hydrology cycles, the biophysical environment and the geochemical flows of nature; maintain a dynamic balance with surface water, aquifers, rain events and water use; maintain a manageable condition with the site and regional hydrology during extreme rain events, droughts and/or municipal service disruption to improve passive survivability.

EW Action 3.1 Indoor Water Use Reduction (1-6 points)

Structures: 25% to 50% reduction

Refer to LEED® v4 NC (New Construction) or equal credit: “Indoor Water Use Reduction” for performance criteria

Communities: 40% estimated reduction

Refer to LEED® v4 ND (Neighborhood Development) or equal credit: "Indoor Water Use Reduction” for fixture water for performance criteria)

EW Action 3.2: Outdoor Water Use Reduction (1-2 points)

Structures:

No Irrigation or 50% reduction. Rainwater harvesting and/or reuse can be used to support the use reduction.

Refer to LEED® v4 NC (New Construction) or equal credit: “Indoor Water Use Reduction” for performance criteria

Communities:

No Irrigation or 30% to 50% reduction

Refer to LEED® v4 ND (Neighborhood Development) or equal credit: “Indoor Water Use Reduction” for fixture water for performance criteria)

EW Action 3.3 Rainwater Harvesting, Recycled Water, On-Site And/or Neighborhood Water Storage (6 possible points)

Provide on-site rainwater or recycled water storage to cover operations, including toilet flushing and mechanical equipment (if needed) for emergency stand-alone operations for a period of at least 96 hours. (5 points)

Provide on-site rainwater or recycled water storage to cover operations, including toilet flushing, mechanical equipment and edible landscaping (if needed) for emergency stand-alone operations for a period of at least 10 days. (5 points)

AND/OR

Reduce potable water for building sewage conveyance by 50% through the use of Rainwater Harvesting and/or the use of recycled water. (6 points)

EW Action 3.4 Alternative Sewage Management (6-8 points)

Treat 25% of wastewater on-site for reuse on-site. Refer to LEED NC V2009 Wastewater Management for criteria.

Reference (Adapted) LEED BD+C V2009 Innovative Wastewater Technologies

Treat 50% of wastewater on-site to tertiary standards using ecological treatment methods and/or low energy filtration.

Constructed Wetlands:

2030 Palette: Constructed Wetlands Swatch
“Ecological Wastewater Management in Iowa” by The Iowa Policy

Living Machines® or Equal:

“EPA Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet: The Living Machine”
“The design of living technologies of waste treatment,” by John Todd and Beth Josephson
“Ecosystems as Infrastructure” by Eric Lohan and Will Kirksey

Low Energy Filtration Methods

Use composting toilets for at least 50% of on-site demand.

Compost Toilet Guidelines by the Gisborne District Council, New Zealand
Composting Toilets at the Bullitt Center by Nina Smith-Gardner

EW Action 3.5 Net Zero Water (7-20 points)

Net Positive Water: 5% surplus water production (7 points)
20% surplus water production (9 points)
30% surplus water production (11 points)
50% surplus water production (15 points)
100% surplus water production (20 points)

EW Action 3.6 Rainwater Management (1-3 points)

Reduce run-off volume and improve water quality by replicating natural hydrology.

Structure + Community: 98th Percentile of Rainfall Events

Refer to LEED NC V4 Rainwater Management credit or equal for defining criteria.

Structure + Community: Zero Lot-line projects or portions of project planned for Zero Lot Line: 85th Percentile of Rainfall Events

Refer to LEED NC V4 Rainwater Management credit or equal for defining criteria.
Rainwater Management for Extreme Rain Events: See HA Credit 2.1