SFP Water Management & Conservation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which fixture type is most effective for reducing potable water use in commercial restrooms?
- Low-flow toilets with dual-flush technology (Correct answer)
- Sensor-activated faucets without flow restrictors
- Standard 3.5 gpf toilets with automatic flush valves
- Urinals without water-saving features
Correct 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.
Question 2: What does 'Water Use Intensity' (WUI) measure in a facility context?
- Total gallons used per building occupant per year
- Water consumption per square foot of conditioned space (Correct answer)
- Ratio of recycled water to potable water used
- Monthly peak water demand in gallons per minute
Correct 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.
Question 3: A cooling tower at a facility is experiencing a cycles of concentration (COC) of 2. What does increasing COC to 5 primarily achieve?
- Reduces blowdown water discharge and overall water consumption (Correct answer)
- Increases the rate of scale buildup in the system
- Decreases chemical treatment requirements
- Lowers the inlet water temperature
Correct 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.
Question 4: Which LEED v4 credit category addresses outdoor water use reduction?
- Water Efficiency — Outdoor Water Use Reduction (Correct answer)
- Sustainable Sites — Rainwater Management
- Materials & Resources — Water Stewardship
- Indoor Environmental Quality — Water Quality
Correct 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.
Question 5: Greywater systems in facilities typically collect water from which sources for reuse?
- Lavatories, showers, and laundry — excluding toilet waste (Correct answer)
- Roof runoff and stormwater only
- All wastewater including toilet effluent
- Reverse osmosis reject water and boiler blowdown
Correct 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.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a water audit in a commercial facility?
- To identify water use patterns, losses, and conservation opportunities (Correct answer)
- To verify compliance with EPA discharge permits
- To calculate the facility's stormwater runoff coefficient
- To determine the correct chemical dosing for cooling towers
Correct 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.
Question 7: Which metric best describes the percentage of a site's stormwater runoff that is managed on-site?
- Stormwater retention rate (Correct answer)
- Impervious surface ratio
- Runoff coefficient (C value)
- Peak flow reduction factor
Correct 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.
SFP Water Management & Conservation 1
Which fixture type is most effective for reducing potable water use in commercial restrooms?