Multifamily
4. Water Conservation
4.1a Water-Conserving Appliances and Fixtures, New Construction
Mandatory
Use appliances and plumbing fixtures that reduce water use and sewage outflow.
Green Communities and the Green Communities Criteria are a national initiative of Enterprise Community Partners to transform the affordable housing sector. For more information go to www.greencommunitiesonline.org
Important Considerations
Codes and Regulations
National EPAct of 1992 maximum flow rates: Toilets 1.6 gpf or better Showerheads 2.5 gpm at 80 psi Faucets 2.2 gpm at 60 psi Current Federal law requires that residential toilets manufactured after January 1, 1994 must use no more than 1.6 gpf. Commercial toilets manufactured after January 1, 1997 must use no more than 1.6 gpf and urinals must use no more than 1 gpf. Federal guidelines also mandate that all lavatory and kitchen faucets and aerators manufactured after January 1, 1994, must use no more than 2.2 gallons-per-minute.
In 1992, an overwhelming majority of the U.S. Congress supported the adoption of national standards for water conserving plumbing fixtures. As part of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct), the standards mandate specific flush volumes and flow rates for plumbing products.
EPAct was adopted in part to promote the conservation and the efficient use of energy and water. The Act requires minimum water efficiency standards for plumbing equipment including toilets, showerheads, faucets, and urinals. These high-performance plumbing fixtures substantially reduce water consumption, wastewater production, environmental damage, and water utility costs.
Download matrix of EPAct and other program specifications for water fixtures and appliances.
Guidelines from the Federal Energy Management program offer further evaluations of faucets and showerheads along with buyer tips, cost-effectiveness analysis, and product guidance.
Specifications
22 06 40 (15410) Plumbing Fixtures Schedules for plumbing fixtures: Include water-conservation requirement in the specifications for fixtures. If substitutions are allowed, only allow those that fulfill the water conservation requirement. Note: The toilet requirements are the same as federal law, but the showerheads, kitchen faucets, and bathroom faucets required by Green Communities have a stricter water-use requirement.
The information above refers to the Construction Specification Institute's (CSI) MasterFormat. The numbers listed above refer to some of the most relevant but not all of the possible MasterFormat sections related to this strategy. The 6-digit numbers refer to the newer 2004 MasterFormat edition. Numbers in parenthesis refer to the older 1995 edition.
