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A) WATER METER Subsurface with grade-level display; wireless wit… Read More A) WATER METER Subsurface with grade-level display; wireless with leak detection and pressure regulator B) RAINWATER COLLECTION Cistern, filter, irrigation control; overflow and filtered matter to storm drain C) STORMWATER DRAINAGE Collect rainwater from roof/gutter system for irrigation; also contains runoff on site versus storm drain D) HOT-WATER RECIRCULATION Motion detector– or manual button–activated recirculation (all bathrooms) E) BATH FAUCETS 32% potential water savings per EPA WaterSense standard; also a greywater source F) SHOWER 20% potential water savings with EPA WaterSense-qualified low-flow showerheads; also a greywater source G) WATER MONITOR Real-time use via PC per water meter; also leak detection and irrigation control H) TOILET 20% potential water savings with 1.28-gpf models vs. 1.6-gpf, per EPA WaterSense standard; greywater supply eliminates use of potable water

M) DISHWASHER 30% water savings with Energy Star–qualified mo… Read More M) DISHWASHER 30% water savings with Energy Star–qualified models N) CLOTHES WASHER 33% potential water savings with Energy Star–qualified models; also a potential greywater source O) LEAKS (OUTDOOR AND INDOOR) Average 14% of annual householdM) water use (7,900 gallons per year) P) PLANTS Native and drought-tolerant; grouped by similar irrigation needs; watered by drip irrigation Q) TURF AREAS No more than 40% of lot; native and drought-tolerant; watered by rotating spray heads R) IRRIGATION SYSTEM Smart controls; weather-based and/or soil sensor S) PERMEABLE AREAS Permeable pavers on sand bed reduce stormwater runoff from the site T) POOL COVER Pool/spa cover to reduce evaporation

Recycled greywater also has been allowed for landscape irrigation under the UPC since the mid-1990s, but what’s collected usually must be used within 24 hours to mitigate potential health hazards, which has limited its use in that regard.

Available greywater can account for perhaps half of a typical home’s indoor water consumption, according to a 2010 white paper by the WateReuse Association. The paper reports that 7% of U.S. households in 2000—led by those in California, Texas, and Pennsylvania—were using some measure of greywater to offset municipal sources, a rate expected to increase to 10%, or more than 14 million households, by 2030. (See “Second Time Around,” page 45, for more on greywater.)

Stormwater Reuse. Similar to greywater, storm (or rain) water collection is regulated in terms of allowable household uses; not every jurisdiction allows it, but its generally “cleaner” sources—primarily a home’s roof and gutter system—make it far less restricted than greywater for landscape irrigation and other outdoor uses.

#5 Water-Use Culprit: Faucets (Kitchen and Bathrooms)

¦ Average Use/Home: 10.9 gpcd (9,071 gallons/year/home)

¦ Conventional Specs: 2.2-gpm lav and kitchen/bar faucets (15.7% of daily indoor use)

¦ Water-Saving Option: 1.5-gpm lav faucets (no change to kitchen/bar faucets) (no change in estimated gpcd; 23.9% of daily indoor use)

¦ Codes and Standards: IAPMO Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code; ICC International Green Construction Code; EPA WaterSense

Generally, passive or non-pressurized catchments sold at retail outlets consist of 50-gallon barrels fed by the gutter system; a spout near the bottom accepts a garden hose to help supplement a potable water irrigation scheme.

But more sophisticated systems designed for meaningful water savings comprise underground cisterns, filters, and pumps to manage water drawn not only from gutters and downspouts but also the condensate from air conditioning units (perhaps 20,000 gallons a year alone)—in some cases to completely offset city-supplied water for outdoor use.

That’s the case in Richmond, Va., where Hollyport Ventures built the city’s first LEED-certified house, including a comprehensive rainwater collection and reuse plan anchored by a 1,400-gallon underground cistern that supports the toilets inside and all outdoor demand.