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BEAM P
LUS FOR
E
XISTING
B
UILDINGS
W
ATER
U
SE
(W
U
)
V
ERSION
1.2
W
U
5 W
ATER
A
UDIT
Copyright © 2012 BEAM Society Limited. All rights reserved.
Page 101
5
W
ATER
U
SE
5.1
W
ATER
C
ONSERVATION
W
U
5 W
ATER
A
UDIT
E
XCLUSIONS
None.
O
BJECTIVE
Reduce the consumption of fresh (potable) water.
C
REDITS ATTAINABLE
1 BONUS
P
REREQUISITES
None.
C
REDIT REQUIREMENT
1 BONUS credit for undertaking a water audit and maintaining a water
use inventory.
A
SSESSMENT
The Client shall submit documentation prepared by a suitably qualified
person confirming that an audit has been completed. The report shall
include water consumption records, operation and maintenance records,
etc. for all areas of water use, but may exclude water consumption by
tenants. The report shall include a spreadsheet listing each water-using
fixture and end use data, such as:
frequency of floor cleaning and water volume per use;
frequency of garden irrigation and water volume per use;
frequency, duration and water volume per use of each fixture in
kitchens and laundry;
frequency of male and female daily uses of the water-using fixture,
duration per use, and the water volume per use.
B
ACKGROUND
There is an increasing availability of devices and plumbing fixtures which
have demonstrated an ability to save water over the lifetime of the
system if installed and maintained properly. Flow rates can be controlled
to reduce excessive discharge at taps, faucets and showers without
detriment to the quality of water delivery. Substantial evidence shows
that the use of water-efficient plumbing fixtures conserves water [1]. A
number of studies in the U.S. have measured the impact of installing
water-efficient plumbing fixtures through sophisticated sensors, before
and after comparisons of water bills, or other means. Although the
results varied, the studies generally concluded that low-flow fixtures are
effective in saving water.
1
United States General Accounting Office. Report to Congressional Requesters. Water Infrastructure. Water-Efficient
Plumbing Fixtures Reduce Water Consumption and Wastewater Flows. GA RCED-00-23. August 2000.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/rc00232.pdf