CALGreen Section: 5.303.1 Meters. Separate submeters or metering devices shall be installed for the uses described in Sections 5.303.1.1 and 5.303.1.2.
5.303.1.1 Buildings in excess of 50,000 square feet (4645 m2). Separate submeters shall be installed as follows:
1. For each individual leased, rented, or other tenant space within the building projected to consume more than 100 gal/day (380 L/day), including, but not limited to, spaces used for laundry or cleaners, restaurant or food service, medical or dental office, laboratory, or beauty salon or barber shop.
2. Where separate submeters for individual building tenants are unfeasible, for water supplied to the following subsystems:
a. Makeup water for cooling towers where flow through is greater than 500 gpm (30 L/s)
b. Makeup water for evaporative coolers greater than 6 gpm (0.04 L/s)
c. Steam and hot-water boilers with energy input more than 500,000 Btu/h (147 kW)
5.303.1.2 Excess consumption. Any building or a space within a building that is projected to consume more than 1,000 gal/day (3800 L/day).
Intent:
The intent of this code provision is to reduce potable water use in new buildings by making building owners and/or tenants aware of their daily potable water consumption to encourage voluntary reduction of potable water use. Note: Owner billing of tenants based on actual use is not intended but is not prohibited.
Change for 2012: CBSC is proposing the amendment of this section to provide clarity to the code user regarding the use of meters, submeters, and metering devices. For buildings in excess of 50,000 s.f., the amendments consolidate the language for tenants expected to use more than 100 gal/day, and they add submetering for specified subsystems where it is unfeasible to meter individual tenants. These provisions also apply to certain additions and alterations per Division 5.7.
Existing Law or Regulation:
There is NO current law or regulation for this code provision.
Compliance Method:
First determine if the new project will require separate meters based on the 50,000 square foot or excess consumption regulation. If so then:
1. Determine if your leased, rented, or other tenant space within the 50,000 square foot building (including spaces used for laundry or cleaners, restaurant or food service, medical or dental office, laboratory, or beauty salon or barber shop) is projected to consume more than 100 gal/day. If so, then provide separate submeters to be installed by the owner or contractor after the main meter supplied by the utility.
2. If any building within a project or space within a building is projected to consume more than 1,000 gal/day then provide a separate submeter or metering devices. Examples are car washes and aquariums.
3. If separate meters for tenants is infeasible, for example, in some high-rise projects, separately meter instead any of the applicable systems listed.
Suggestion: Show separate meters on the plans (Site Utility Plan) and provide specifications for the submeters and/or metering devices.
Enforcement:
Plan Intake: The reviewer and/or plan checker should review the plans and specifications to confirm that separate meters and/or metering devices are specified on the plans when
required.
On-Site Enforcement: The inspector should review the permit set of plans to verify that all separate submeters and/or metering devices are installed as specified on the approved plans and specifications.
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