Log in
LEED v2009
Retail – New construction
Water Efficiency
Water use reduction

LEED CREDIT

Retail-NC-v2009 WEp1: Water Use Reduction Required

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Employ strategies that in aggregate use 20% less water than the water use baseline calculated for the building (not including irrigation). BUILDING WATER USE Calculate the baseline according to the commercial baselines outlined below.1 Calculations are based on estimated occupant usage. Include only the following fixtures and fixture fittings (as applicable to the project scope): water closets, urinals, lavatory faucets, showers, kitchen sink faucets and pre-rinse spray valves. [Europe ACP: Water Use Baseline]

Fixtures, Fittings, and Appliances

Current Baseline (Imperial Units)

Current Baseline (Metric Units)

Commercial Toilets

1.6 gallons per flush (gpf)*
Except blow-out fixtures: 3.5 (gpf)

6 liters per flush (lpf)
Except blow-out fixtures: 13.5 lpf

Commercial Urinals

1.0 (gpf)

4.0 lpf

Commercial Lavatory (restroom) Faucets

2.2 gallons per minute (gpm) at 60 pounds per square inch (psi),private applications only (hotel or motel guest rooms, hospital patient rooms)
0.5 (gpm) at 60 (psi)**all others except private applications
0.25 gallons per cycle for metering faucets

8.5 liters per minute (lpm) at 4 bar (58 psi), private applications only (hotel or motel guest rooms, hospital patient rooms)
2.0 lpm at 4 bar (58 psi), all others except private applications
1 liter per cycle for metering faucets

Shower

2.5 (gpm) at 80 (psi) per shower stall

9.5 lpm  at 5.5 bar (80 psi) per shower stall

Kitchen Faucet

2.2 (gpm) at 60 (psi)

8.5 lpm at 4 bar (58 psi)

Commercial Pre-rinse Spray Valves
(for food service applications)

Flow rate ≤ 1.6 (gpm)
(no pressure specified; no performance requirement)

Flow rate ≤ 6 lpm (no pressure specified; no performance requirement)

*    EPAct 1992 standard for toilets applies to both commercial and residential models.
**  In addition to EPAct requirements, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard for public lavatory faucets is 0.5 gpm at 60 psi (2.0 lpm at 4 bar (58 psi)) (ASME A112.18.1–2005).
This maximum has been incorporated into the national Uniform Plumbing Code and the International Plumbing Code.

AND
COMMERCIAL PROCESS WATER USE Employ strategies that in aggregate use 20% less water than the water use baseline calculated performance requirements for commercial equipment as listed in Table 2. Base the calculations on estimated occupant usage. Include only the following fixtures (as applicable): clothes washers, dishwashers, ice machines, food steamers, and combination ovens.(insert table) Exemptions from calculations:
  • Appliances and equipment that use water for human consumption may be excluded. Examples: bread misters, produce misters, soda machines, coffee-making machines, and fixtures used to fill sinks for washing produce.
  • Equipment, appliances, fixtures, and fittings that are not covered by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 1992), do not contribute toward the retail process, and are not commercially rated may be excluded. Example: a residential dishwasher in an employee break room.
  • Fixtures whose flow rates are regulated by health codes may be excluded. Example: fixtures used for filling dishwashing sinks in which water must be maintained at a certain temperature.

    Commercial Equipment

    Baseline (Imperial Units)

    Baseline (Metric Units)

    Commercial clothes washer, less than 80 lbs (36.3 kg)

    9 gallons/cf/cycle

    1,200 liters/m3/cycle

    Commercial dishwasher

        Under counter, high temperature

    1.98 gallons/rack

    7.50  liters/rack

        Under counter, low temperature

    1.95 gallons/rack

    7.38 liters/rack

        Door type, high temperature

    1.44 gallons/rack

    5.45 liters/rack

        Door type, low temperature

    1.85 gallons/rack

    7.00 liters/rack

        Single tank rack conveyor, high temperature

    1.13 gallons/rack

    4.28 liters/rack

        Single tank rack conveyor, low temperature

    1.23 gallons/rack

    4.66 liters/rack

        Multi- tank rack conveyor, high temperature

    1.1 gallons/rack

    4.16 liters/rack

        Multi- tank rack conveyor, low temperature

    0.99 gallon/rack

    3.75 liters/rack

        Flight type

    180 gph

    681.37 lph

    Commercial ice machines

        Ice machine, IMH (ice-making head) H

        Ice machine, IMH (ice-making head)  H > 450 lbs/day (>204.11 kg/day)

        Ice machine, RCU (no remote compressor) H

        Ice machine, RCU (no remote compressor)  H > 1,000 lbs/day (>453.59 kg/day)

        Ice machine, RCU (remote compressor)  H

        Ice machine, RCU (remote compressor)  H > 934 lbs/day (>423.66 kg/day)

        Ice machine, SCU (self-contained unit)

        Ice machine, water-cooled

    Must be on chilled loop

    Must be on chilled loop

        Ice machine, once-through water-cooled

    Banned

    Banned

    Food steamer

        Steam cooker, batch cooking

    8 gph/pan

    3085.11 lph/pan

        Steam cooker, high production or cook to order

    8 gph/pan

    317.97 lph/pan

    Combination oven

     

        Countertop or stand mounted

    40 gph

    151.42 lph

        Roll-in

    60 gph

    227.12 lph

    Other equipment

    Based on industry standards

    Based on industry standards

    Notes: gph = gallons per hour; cf = cubic feet; lph = liters per hour; H = ice production.

    For equipment not listed in in the above tables, the project team may propose performance baseline requirements, with documentation supporting the proposed benchmark.

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Europe ACP: Water Use Baseline
Projects in Europe may use the values defined by European Standards. See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

Get the inside scoop

Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Employ strategies that in aggregate use 20% less water than the water use baseline calculated for the building (not including irrigation). BUILDING WATER USE Calculate the baseline according to the commercial baselines outlined below.1 Calculations are based on estimated occupant usage. Include only the following fixtures and fixture fittings (as applicable to the project scope): water closets, urinals, lavatory faucets, showers, kitchen sink faucets and pre-rinse spray valves. [Europe ACP: Water Use Baseline]

Fixtures, Fittings, and Appliances

Current Baseline (Imperial Units)

Current Baseline (Metric Units)

Commercial Toilets

1.6 gallons per flush (gpf)*
Except blow-out fixtures: 3.5 (gpf)

6 liters per flush (lpf)
Except blow-out fixtures: 13.5 lpf

Commercial Urinals

1.0 (gpf)

4.0 lpf

Commercial Lavatory (restroom) Faucets

2.2 gallons per minute (gpm) at 60 pounds per square inch (psi),private applications only (hotel or motel guest rooms, hospital patient rooms)
0.5 (gpm) at 60 (psi)**all others except private applications
0.25 gallons per cycle for metering faucets

8.5 liters per minute (lpm) at 4 bar (58 psi), private applications only (hotel or motel guest rooms, hospital patient rooms)
2.0 lpm at 4 bar (58 psi), all others except private applications
1 liter per cycle for metering faucets

Shower

2.5 (gpm) at 80 (psi) per shower stall

9.5 lpm  at 5.5 bar (80 psi) per shower stall

Kitchen Faucet

2.2 (gpm) at 60 (psi)

8.5 lpm at 4 bar (58 psi)

Commercial Pre-rinse Spray Valves
(for food service applications)

Flow rate ≤ 1.6 (gpm)
(no pressure specified; no performance requirement)

Flow rate ≤ 6 lpm (no pressure specified; no performance requirement)

*    EPAct 1992 standard for toilets applies to both commercial and residential models.
**  In addition to EPAct requirements, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard for public lavatory faucets is 0.5 gpm at 60 psi (2.0 lpm at 4 bar (58 psi)) (ASME A112.18.1–2005).
This maximum has been incorporated into the national Uniform Plumbing Code and the International Plumbing Code.

AND
COMMERCIAL PROCESS WATER USE Employ strategies that in aggregate use 20% less water than the water use baseline calculated performance requirements for commercial equipment as listed in Table 2. Base the calculations on estimated occupant usage. Include only the following fixtures (as applicable): clothes washers, dishwashers, ice machines, food steamers, and combination ovens.(insert table) Exemptions from calculations:
  • Appliances and equipment that use water for human consumption may be excluded. Examples: bread misters, produce misters, soda machines, coffee-making machines, and fixtures used to fill sinks for washing produce.
  • Equipment, appliances, fixtures, and fittings that are not covered by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 1992), do not contribute toward the retail process, and are not commercially rated may be excluded. Example: a residential dishwasher in an employee break room.
  • Fixtures whose flow rates are regulated by health codes may be excluded. Example: fixtures used for filling dishwashing sinks in which water must be maintained at a certain temperature.

    Commercial Equipment

    Baseline (Imperial Units)

    Baseline (Metric Units)

    Commercial clothes washer, less than 80 lbs (36.3 kg)

    9 gallons/cf/cycle

    1,200 liters/m3/cycle

    Commercial dishwasher

        Under counter, high temperature

    1.98 gallons/rack

    7.50  liters/rack

        Under counter, low temperature

    1.95 gallons/rack

    7.38 liters/rack

        Door type, high temperature

    1.44 gallons/rack

    5.45 liters/rack

        Door type, low temperature

    1.85 gallons/rack

    7.00 liters/rack

        Single tank rack conveyor, high temperature

    1.13 gallons/rack

    4.28 liters/rack

        Single tank rack conveyor, low temperature

    1.23 gallons/rack

    4.66 liters/rack

        Multi- tank rack conveyor, high temperature

    1.1 gallons/rack

    4.16 liters/rack

        Multi- tank rack conveyor, low temperature

    0.99 gallon/rack

    3.75 liters/rack

        Flight type

    180 gph

    681.37 lph

    Commercial ice machines

        Ice machine, IMH (ice-making head) H

        Ice machine, IMH (ice-making head)  H > 450 lbs/day (>204.11 kg/day)

        Ice machine, RCU (no remote compressor) H

        Ice machine, RCU (no remote compressor)  H > 1,000 lbs/day (>453.59 kg/day)

        Ice machine, RCU (remote compressor)  H

        Ice machine, RCU (remote compressor)  H > 934 lbs/day (>423.66 kg/day)

        Ice machine, SCU (self-contained unit)

        Ice machine, water-cooled

    Must be on chilled loop

    Must be on chilled loop

        Ice machine, once-through water-cooled

    Banned

    Banned

    Food steamer

        Steam cooker, batch cooking

    8 gph/pan

    3085.11 lph/pan

        Steam cooker, high production or cook to order

    8 gph/pan

    317.97 lph/pan

    Combination oven

     

        Countertop or stand mounted

    40 gph

    151.42 lph

        Roll-in

    60 gph

    227.12 lph

    Other equipment

    Based on industry standards

    Based on industry standards

    Notes: gph = gallons per hour; cf = cubic feet; lph = liters per hour; H = ice production.

    For equipment not listed in in the above tables, the project team may propose performance baseline requirements, with documentation supporting the proposed benchmark.

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Europe ACP: Water Use Baseline
Projects in Europe may use the values defined by European Standards.
See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Retail-NC-v2009 WEp1