Water Management & Conservation Flashcards

Which fixture type is most effective for reducing potable water use in commercial restrooms?

Answer: Low-flow toilets with dual-flush technology

Dual-flush low-flow toilets allow users to select a lower flush volume for liquid waste, significantly reducing overall water consumption compared to single-flush models.

What does 'Water Use Intensity' (WUI) measure in a facility context?

Answer: Water consumption per square foot of conditioned space

WUI normalizes water consumption by dividing total water use by the facility's conditioned floor area, enabling meaningful benchmarking across similar building types.

A cooling tower at a facility is experiencing a cycles of concentration (COC) of 2. What does increasing COC to 5 primarily achieve?

Answer: Reduces blowdown water discharge and overall water consumption

Higher cycles of concentration mean water is reused more times before blowdown, directly reducing the volume of water discharged and makeup water needed.

Which LEED v4 credit category addresses outdoor water use reduction?

Answer: Water Efficiency — Outdoor Water Use Reduction

LEED v4's Water Efficiency category includes the Outdoor Water Use Reduction credit, which rewards strategies like native plantings, efficient irrigation, and non-potable water sources for landscaping.

Greywater systems in facilities typically collect water from which sources for reuse?

Answer: Lavatories, showers, and laundry — excluding toilet waste

Greywater is lightly contaminated wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundry that can be treated and reused for toilet flushing or irrigation without full sewage treatment.

What is the primary purpose of a water audit in a commercial facility?

Answer: To identify water use patterns, losses, and conservation opportunities

A water audit systematically quantifies water flows throughout a facility, identifies inefficiencies and leaks, and prioritizes cost-effective conservation measures.

Which metric best describes the percentage of a site's stormwater runoff that is managed on-site?

Answer: Stormwater retention rate

Stormwater retention rate expresses how much precipitation is captured, infiltrated, or evapotranspirated on-site rather than discharged offsite, directly measuring green infrastructure effectiveness.