Indoor Water Use Reduction – Above Green

Required

Intent

To reduce indoor water consumption.

Requirements

Nonresidential buildings, mixed-use buildings, and multifamily residential buildings four stories or more

For new buildings and buildings undergoing major renovations as part of the project, reduce indoor water usage by an average of 20% from a baseline. All newly installed toilets, urinals, private lavatory faucets, and shower heads that are eligible for labeling must be WaterSense labeled (or a local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.). For the fixtures and fittings listed in Table 1, as applicable to the project scope, reduce water consumption by 20% from the baseline. Base calculations on the volumes and flow rates shown in Table 1. The design case is calculated as a weighted average of water usage for the buildings constructed as part of the project based on their floor area.

Table 1. Baseline water consumption of fixtures and fittings

Commercial Fixtures, Fittings, and Appliances	Current Baseline (IP Units)	Current Baseline (SI units)
Water closets (toilets)*	1.6 gallons per flush (gpf)	6 liters per flush (lpf)
Urinal*	1.0 (gpf)	3.8 lpf
Public lavatory (restroom) faucet	0.5 gpm at 60 psi all others except private applications	1.9 lpm at 415 kPa, all others except private applications
Private lavatory faucet*	2.2 gpm at 60 psi	8.3 lpm at 415 kPa
Kitchen faucet (excluding faucets used exclusively for filling operations)	2.2 gpm at 60 psi	8.3 lpm at 415 kPa
Shower head*	2.5 gpm at 80 psi per shower stall	9.5 lpm at 550 kPa per shower stall
* WaterSense label available for this product type gpf = gallons per flush gpm = gallons per minute psi = pounds per square inch lpf = liters per flush lpm = liters per minute kPa = kilopascals

New single-family residential buildings and new multiunit residential buildings three stories or fewer

90% of residential buildings must use a combination of fixtures and fittings that would earn 2 points under LEED v4 Building Design and Construction: Homes and Multifamily Low-rise WE Credit Indoor Water Use.