As the creation of sustainable and resilient buildings becomes a greater priority, especially over the past year, one critical component will be to ensure our buildings are water efficient. After all, clean water is the world’s most precious commodity, and without proper conservation, we will soon find ourselves without this finite resource. While 70% of our planet is covered with water, less than 1% is drinkable and ready for everyday use.
Luckily, model building codes and standards have already begun addressing water efficiency and conservation. However, no single code or standard can fully address every facet of the issue. Instead, it will take a holistic approach, utilizing codes and standards from all areas such as plumbing and mechanical, residential and commercial, and energy conservation.