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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Resilient, Sustainable Water Management: A Holistic Approach
Feature Article
Water is our planet’s lifeblood. But climate change has redefined how we view water, with drought amplifying water scarcity and changing our relationship with the landscape and the built environment.
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What Makes Plumbing Green? BuildingGreen’s Guide to Plumbing Products
Feature Article
People like a clean flush and a long shower, but water is getting scarcer. Selecting the right building products can meet both needs.
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Design Strategies for Occupant Engagement—and Why They Boost Performance
Feature Article
Researchers reveal simple ways to empower occupants to reduce energy, water, and waste. It all starts with good design.
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How to Succeed with the Living Building Challenge: 12 Teams Share Tips
Feature Article
The bar is high—that’s obvious—but watch out for some surprising pitfalls. Here’s how dedicated teams have tackled Living Building challenges.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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What Does It Mean to “Use Water”?
Explainer
The difference between consumptive and non-consumptive water use is like night and day in the world of policy and regulation.
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The Embodied Energy of Tap Water
Explainer
A third of the annual energy bill paid by a municipality goes toward water treatment. Here’s why clean water uses so much energy.
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The Surprising Connection Between Water Conservation and Deadly Infections
Explainer
Legionella and other pathogens can proliferate in pipes and low-flow fixtures, threatening the health of vulnerable people.
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Water Budgets: A Holistic Look at Efficiency
Explainer
Developing a water budget for a building can identify opportunities for savings that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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BuildingGreen Announces Top 10 Products for 2024
Product Review
BuildingGreen’s Top 10 industry-transforming products this year include innovative heat-pump energy storage, electric construction equipment, PFAS-free textiles, healthier lighting, PV circularity, and more.
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Showerheads
Product Guide
Showerheads that use no more than 1.75 gpm and are WaterSense labeled to address spray force and coverage
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Composting Toilet Systems
Product Guide
Composting toilets are not for every project, but they do warrant consideration.
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Faucets
Product Guide
Bathroom faucets and aerators with a flow rate of 1.0 gpm or less, plus other unique water-saving tech
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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USGBC Certifies First LEED v5 O+M Projects
News Brief
USGBC announces the first three projects certified under the new LEED v5 Operations & Maintenance (O+M) rating system, still in beta testing.
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Returning to the Office? You Might Want to Test Your Water!
News Brief
Returning to the office means ensuring occupant health, but a recent study published in PLOS Water highlights the hazards of water that has sat in plumbing for too long.
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Petal Certifications Help the Living Building Challenge Jump in Scale
News Brief
With recent and upcoming certifications, the Living Building Challenge breaks out of its boutique building typology.
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LEED to Certify Entire Communities, Cities
News Brief
USGBC rolls out two new certifications based on actual performance tracked through the Arc platform.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Water: The Back Seat Driver
Blog Post
Welcome to our new blog dedicated to the issues of water, water efficiency, and water policy.
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Bringing Water Back into the Discussion
Op-Ed
Most Americans treat freshwater as if it were limitless and free, even as water shortage is becoming a reality in many areas of the United States. But there are many cost-effective ways to reduce that consumption.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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On-demand Webinar- Rainwater Management and LEED: Strategies to Protect Ecosystems and Communities
Webcast
In this webinar, we will review the LEED v4 and v4.1 BD+C Rainwater Management credits and discuss how real project teams are approaching and implementing successful management strategies.
