5.303.2 20% reduction in indoor water use.
Include residential lavatory faucets in table and clarification for showerheads.
CALGreen Section: 5.303.2 20 percent savings. A schedule of plumbing fixtures and fixture fittings that will reduce the overall use of potable water within the building by 20 percent shall be provided. The reduction shall be based on the maximum allowable water use per plumbing fixture and fittings as required by the California Building Standards Code. The 20 percent reduction in potable water use shall be demonstrated by one of the following methods.
1. Prescriptive method. Each plumbing fixture and fitting shall not exceed the maximum flow rate at ≥20 percent reduction as specified in Table 5.303.2.3, or
2. Performance method. A calculation demonstrating a 20% reduction in the building “water use baseline” as established in Table 5.303.2.2 shall be provided.
[Tables 5.303.2.2 and 5.303.2.3 are not shown for clarity, but these footnotes have been added to the tables:
Footnotes for Table 5.303.2.2:
2 Refer to Table A, Chapter 4, California Plumbing Code, for occupant load factors.
(a) Shower use by occupants depends on the type of use of a building or portion of a building, e.g., total occupant load for a health club, but only a fraction of the occupants in an office building as determined by the anticipated number of users.
(b) Nonresidential kitchen faucet use is determined by the occupant load of the area served
by the fixture.
Footnotes for Table 5.303.2.3:
1 Lavatory Faucets Residential shall not have a flow rate less than 0.8 gpm at 20 psi.
2 Kitchen faucets may temporarily increase flow above the maximum rate, but not above 2.2 gpm @ 60 psi and must default to a maximum flow rate of 1.8 gpm @ 60 psi.
3 Where complying faucets are unavailable, aerators rated at .35 gpm or other means may be
used to achieve reduction.
Intent :
The intent of this code provision is to reduce the overall use of potable water within the building by 20 percent. Governor Schwarzenegger issued a proclamation in 2009 making 20 percent water use reduction a statewide goal.
Change for 2012: 5.302.2. 20 percent savings, Table 5.303.2.2, and Table 5.303.2.3. CBSC is proposing the modification of these sections and tables in response to comments from CARB and to coordinate language with HCD. Changes include clarifications to prescriptive and performance measures, identification of baseline flow rates in the tables, deletion of the word “Indoor” from the title of Table 5.303.2.2, and correction of the duration of a nonresidential shower in the table.
and
Proposed also are footnotes to Table 5.303.2.2 clarifying number of occupants to be considered shower or kitchen faucet users in commercial applications. Being deleted is footnote 2 to Table 5.303.2.2, which referenced the California Energy Commission Appliance Efficiency Standards in Title 20 as the source of most baseline flow rates, as superfluous, since the baseline flow rates are shown in the tables. Proposed for Table 5.303.2.3 is a new footnote to advise code users of means of compliance for nonresidential faucets, the baseline of which is also the lowest flow rate currently available from manufacturers.
Existing Law or Regulation:
AB 715 (Stats 2007, c. 499) modified the Health and Safety Code to allow only high-efficiency toilets and urinals to be sold or installed after January 1, 2014.
Compliance Method:
Demonstrate a 20 percent reduction in potable water use by using one of the following methods:
1. Prescriptive Method: Refer to Table 5.303.2.3 and select the plumbing fixtures and fittings with the reduced flow rates.
OR
Performance Method: Refer to Table 5.303.2.2 and provide a calculation demonstrating a 20 percent reduction in the building “water use baseline” as established in the table.
Suggestion: For the Prescriptive Method, provide a note on the plans and specify the fixtures and fittings that meet the requirement. For the Performance Method, provide a plumbing calculation on the plans demonstrating an overall 20 percent water use reduction.
Sample worksheets are included in Chapter 8 of the code and in Part 4 of this Guide.
Enforcement:
Plan Intake: The reviewer and/or plan checker should review the plans and specifications to confirm that either the prescriptive or performance method has been submitted and check for
the 20 percent water reduction compliance. If the performance method is used, review the
water calculations showing the 20 percent reduction.
On-Site Enforcement: The inspector should review the permit set of plans to verify that the specified water efficient plumbing fixtures and fixture fittings are installed. If the performance method was used, the inspector will verify that fixtures or systems used to reduce overall water use by 20 percent have been installed. The inspector may review the fixture specifications to verify compliance or accept a self-certification form.
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