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Option 1. Whole Project Water Use

Quantifying whole project water use and developing strategies to reduce consumption across the entire project can lead to significant water savings. Analyzing all water sources enables teams to identify large consumers and target both conservation and alternative water strategies.

Projects must demonstrate a minimum of 30% reduction from the project’s baseline to earn points. Using alternative water sources earns additional points for the calculated reductions.

Develop a water balance model Teams must calculate the building’s water demand and develop baseline and design case water balance models. Models must account for all water sources within the project’s scope of work, including fixtures and fittings, domestic hot water, appliances, commercial kitchen and laundry equipment, laboratory and medical equipment, process water, and HVAC systems.

BASELINE REQUIREMENTS The baseline model reflects the minimum requirements and typical water use for the project type without any additional water-savings measures.

For fixtures and fittings, determine the baseline using a USGBC-approved calculator, as described in WEp1: Minimum Water Efficiency, Option 2. Performance Path — Calculated Reduction.

Baseline values for appliances, kitchen equipment, and laboratory and medical equipment must align with Tables 3–5 of this credit.

For cooling towers, the baseline water model represents the water use associated with the minimum number of cooling tower cycles, such that parameters do not exceed the values of Table 6.

DESIGN CASE REQUIREMENTS The design-case water model must use fixtures and fittings, appliances, kitchen equipment, and laboratory and medical equipment as specified within the contract documents.

Projects with alternative water sources Use of alternative water sources can be highly effective in reducing potable water demand and utility costs associated with the building. Projects that use alternative water sources achieve 1 additional point for each threshold met under Table 1. For example, a project that reduces potable water consumption by 30% earns 1 point. A project that reduces potable water

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Interior Design and Construction, April 2025 Launch Edition 89