LEED-BDC-v4-v5-Summary-of-Changes - Page 006

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Water Efficiency

The Water Efficiency (WE) category integrates traditional efficiency measures with innovative stewardship strategies, redefining water as a valuable, limited resource. LEED v5 introduces a whole-project approach to water management, emphasizing alternative water sources, decarbonization through reduced energy use in water systems, and advanced metering for leak detection. By implementing high-performance requirements for appliances, encouraging real-time data monitoring, and promoting water conservation both on-site and in the wider community, LEED v5 addresses pressing challenges of water stress and scarcity. This comprehensive approach not only safeguards ecosystems and reduces carbon emissions but also contributes to improved quality of life and a more resilient, sustainable future.

Prerequisite	Outdoor Water Use Reduction	Incorporated into new prerequisite: WEp Minimum Water Efficiency. Calculated baseline changed from “peak watering month” to “annual theoretical irrigation requirement (TIR).”
Prerequisite	Indoor Water Use Reduction	Incorporated into new prerequisite: WEp Minimum Water Efficiency. Prescriptive path added with maximum allowed flush/flow rates. WaterSense label no longer required for North America projects. Revised dual-flush water closet requirement to use full-flush volume only in calculation. Commercial clothes washer requirement revised from CEE Tier 3A to ENERGY STAR. Standards for cooling towers & evaporative condensers revised: efficient drift eliminators that reduce drift to maximum of 0.001% of recirculated water volume for counterflow towers and 0.002% of recirculated water flow for cross-flow towers. Food steamer requirement revised: Boilerless/connectionless: ≤ 2 gal/hr/pan (IP) and ≤ 7.5 L/hr/pan (SI) Steam generator: ≤ 5 gal/hr/pan (IP) and ≤ 19 L/hr/pan (SI). Combination oven requirement revised: Countertop/stand: ≤ 1.5 gal/pan (IP) and ≤ 5.7 L/pan (SI) Roll-in: ≤ 1.5 gal/pan (IP) and ≤ 5.7 L/pan (SI). Added note for applicability of requirements to Core + Shell projects.
Prerequisite	Building-Level Water Metering	Prerequisite renamed to Water Metering and Reporting. Scope of metering revised to include both potable and alternative water sources. Separate metering must be provided for alternative water sources. LEED v5 no longer specifies monthly summaries. Language added to state that facility managers and tenants must be able to access meter data. New provision included for applying requirements to the project scope of work and excluding future tenant utility services and submeters.
Prerequisite	Minimum Water Efficiency	New prerequisite. Incorporates LEED v4 WEp Indoor Water Use Reduction and WEp Outdoor Water Use Reduction prerequisites.

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