Everything on Earth requires water to endure itself. But water is a limited resource and the population growth puts a stress on water supplies. Clean water is reduced by the pollution and contamination we create.

In essence, humans are decreasing our own water supply due to pollution and by misusing it.

While making a building as per norms of green building it is necessary to account in reduction of indoor water use.

LEED in its green building certification gives more weightage to awarding the credit points for reducing indoor and outdoor water usage.

In this article we are discussing all the requirements for achieving maximum possible credit points for indoor water use reduction.

1–7 points

This credit applies to

• New Construction (1–6 points)
• Core & Shell (1–4 points)
• Schools (1–7 points)
• Retail (1–7 points)
• Data Centers (1–6 points)
• Warehouses & Distribution Centers (1–6 points)
• Hospitality (1–6 points)
• Healthcare (1–7 points)

Requirements

NC, CS, SCHOOLS, NC-RETAIL, DATA CENTERS, WAREHOUSES & DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, NC-HOSPITALITY, HEALTHCARE

Further reduce fixture and fitting water use from the calculated baseline in WE Prerequisite Indoor Water Use Reduction. Additional potable water savings can be earned above the prerequisite level using alternative water sources. Include fixtures and fittings necessary to meet the needs of the occupants.

Some of these fittings and fixtures may be outside the tenant space (for Commercial Interiors) or project boundary (for New Construction). Points are awarded according to Table 1.

Table 1. Points for reducing water use

Percentage Reduction	Points (BD+C)	Points (CS)	Points (Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare)
25%	1	1	1
30%	2	2	2
35%	3	3	3
40%	4	4	4
45%	5	—	5
50%	6	—	—

Schools, Retail, Hospitality, and Healthcare only

Meet the percentage reduction requirements above.

AND

Appliance and Process Water. Install equipment within the project scope that meets the minimum requirements in Table 2, 3, 4, or 5. One point is awarded for meeting all applicable requirements in any one table. All applicable equipment listed in each table must meet the standard.

Schools, Retail, and Healthcare projects can earn a second point for meeting the requirements of two tables.

Table 2. Compliant commercial washing machines

Washing machine	Requirement (IP units)	Requirement (SI units)
On-premise, minimum capacity 2,400 lbs (1 088 kg) per 8-hour shift	Maximum 1.8 gals per pound *	Maximum 7 liters per 0.45 kilograms *

*Based on equal quantities of heavy, medium, and light soil laundry.

Table 3. Standards for commercial kitchen equipment

To use Table 3, the project must serve at least 100 meals per day of operation. All process and appliance equipment listed in the category of kitchen equipment and present on the project must comply with the standards.

Table 4. Compliant laboratory and medical equipment

To use Table 4, the project must be a medical or laboratory facility.

Lab equipment	Requirement (IP units)	Requirement (SI units)
Reverse-osmosis water purifier	75% recovery	75% recovery
Steam sterilizer	For 60-inch sterilizer, 6.3 gal/U.S. tray For 48-inch sterilizer, 7.5 gal/U.S. tray	For 1520-mm sterilizer, 28.5 liters/DIN tray For 1220-mm sterilizer, 28.35 liters/DIN tray
Sterile process washer	0.35 gal/U.S. tray	1.3 liters/DIN tray
X-ray processor, 150 mm or more in any dimension	Film processor water recycling unit
Digital imager, all sizes	No water use

Table 5. Compliant municipal steam systems

To use Table 5, the project must be connected to a municipal or district steam system that does not allow the return of steam condensate.

Steam system	Standard
Steam condensate disposal	Cool municipally supplied steam condensate (no return) to drainage system with heat recovery system or reclaimed water
OR
Reclaim and use steam condensate	100% recovery and reuse