3.b Outdoor Water Use

Use water efficient landscapes that incorporate native, non-invasive, drought tolerant, and low maintenance plant species and employ water efficient irrigation strategies to reduce outdoor potable water consumption. Install water meters for irrigation systems serving more than 25,000 square feet of landscaping.

Follow the Path applicable to your project type: 

• Path A: No Irrigation 
• Path B: Prescriptive Irrigation Requirements 

Path A – No Irrigation

Requirements: 

• Submit documentation showing no potable water is used for new landscaping.
  • Required Documentation:
    • Irrigation system design and short narrative describing that no potable water is used for irrigating new landscaping (other than for plant establishment).

Path B – Prescriptive Irrigation Requirements

Requirements:

• Install a water meter exclusive to the irrigation system.
  • Required Documentation:
    • Utility invoices or comparable for the irrigation system meter 
    • Contract documents: plans and specifications
• Submit documentation demonstrating use of water efficient landscaping and non-invasive plant species. 
  • Assessment Guidance: Must be for a minimum of 60% of areas that will be/are landscaped, consistent with ASHRAE 189.1-2014 Section 6.3.1.1 Landscape Design, OR IgCC 2018 Section 601.3.1.1 Landscape Design, or current comparable ASHRAE standard.
  • Required Documentation: 
    • Landscape design document 
    • Contract documents: plans and specifications
  • References 
    • ASHRAE 189.1 Section 6.3.1.1 Landscape Design 
    • IgCC 2018 Section 601.3.1.1 Landscape Design
• Submit documentation demonstrating use of water efficient landscaping and non-invasive plant species. 
  • Assessment Guidance: Compare results to a baseline building, preferably using the EPA WaterSense landscape water budget tool version 1.01 or later.
  • Required Documentation: 
    • Copy of the WaterSense Water Budget Tool, with the following completed worksheets: 
      • Part 1 - Baseline & LWA 
      • Part 2 - LWR 
      • Part 3 - Results
  • References 
    • IgCC 2018 Section 601.3.1 Site Water Use Reduction

Links: 

• Federal Building Metering Guidance (U.S. Department of Energy) (per 42 U.S.C. § 8253(3), Metering of Energy Use): https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/downloads/federal-building-metering-guidance-usc8253e-metering-energy-use 
• EPA’s WaterSense Water Budget Tool: www.epa.gov/watersense/water_budget 

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