INTENT
The intent of this Imperative is to encourage projects to treat water like a precious resource, minimizing waste and the use of potable water, while avoiding downstream impacts and pollution.
REQUIREMENTS
All projects must not use potable water for irrigation, and use less water for the project’s other needs than a baseline regional building of the same type at the following rates:
- New Building: 50%
- Existing Building + Interior: 30%
Affordable housing projects can use water handprinting combined with project efficiency to meet water savings goals.
All projects must treat all stormwater on site, through natural or mechanical means and without chemicals, and manage all stormwater based on both pre-development hydrology and current ecological conditions, as determined by a qualified professional.
All projects on a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system, or in a floodplain (based on an Exception), must incorporate stormwater detention and avoid sheet flow off the site.
CHANGES FROM LBC 3.1 TO 4.0
This is a new Imperative under LBC 4.0. It requires projects to meet a variety of best practices related to water use reduction, right fit water for irrigation, and stormwater management. This Imperative also allows affordable housing projects to use water handprinting to meet the potable water use reduction goals.
