Water Efficiency
Water efficiency in buildings requires a set of strategies for reducing water consumption.
Water-saving appliances and fixtures are an inexpensive (often cost-neutral) way to achieve greater efficiency. Rainwater or graywater reuse and even blackwater treatment are ways to push the envelope.
Water Efficiency
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Cost-Effective Green Retrofits: Opportunities for Savings in Existing Buildings
Feature Article
Between lighting, water use, mechanical systems, the building envelope, and occupant health, existing buildings are rife with cost-effective retrofits and operational opportunities that also offer environmental benefits. Improvements range from the painfully obvious to the more complex and involved.
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Water Policies: Encouraging Conservation
Feature Article
Conserving water goes beyond building design and technology. Water use is governed by federal, state, and local policies, from maximum flow requirements to pricing structures that encourage or discourage conservation.
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Alternative Water Sources: Supply-Side Solutions for Green Buildings
Feature Article
Water efficiency should be a top priority for our buildings. At the same time, finding alternative sources of water is also important for sustainability and passive survivability. Several sources of water can be harvested at the building level as well as through municipal-scale wastewater treatment and desalination.
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Water: Doing More With Less
Feature Article
The U.S. uses about 400 billion gallons of water a day, and water shortages are becoming more common. Water-saving products and technologies, some currently on the market and others in development, can reduce that wasteful flow to a trickle.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Commercial Composters Put New, Odorless Spin on an Old-Fashioned Practice
Product Review
In-vessel composters can reduce trash bills, food waste, and greenhouse gas emissions in schools, hotels, and office buildings.
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Detect Leaks Before They Ruin Your House
Product Review
FloLogic detects leaks from plumbing and shuts down the home's water supply, protecting the building and saving resources.
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Smarter Irrigation for a Parched Landscape
Product Review
WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers use sophisticated algorithms and climate data to provide just the right amount of water to plants.
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Rainwater Harvesting: Standout Products in a Rising Market
Product Review
As resilience becomes a greater focus, the market for rainwater harvesting systems and components is growing. The companies described here provide a good starting point.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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EPA Ignoring Hundreds of Toxic Chemicals in Wastewater
News Brief
An investigation finds that only a fraction of hazardous wastewater pollutants are regulated, and of those, only a handful are monitored.
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EBies for 2014 Shine (Efficient) Spotlight on Existing Buildings
News Analysis
Urban Green Council rolls out the green carpet and rewards exceptional achievements in energy, water, lighting, and more.
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Emerging Technologies Address the Water-Energy Nexus
News Brief
DOE is highlighting technologies that simultaneously save water and energy, including supercritical carbon dioxide recompression for power plants.
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Companies Slow to Act as Water Issues Erode Profits
News Brief
A survey found 60% of U.S. companies expect water issues such as extreme weather to hurt their business, but few plan to invest more in risk management.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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