Page 167 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

146 CHAPTER 5

with aerators and mechanical timers. The Circuit City store has dual flush toilets (0.8
gallons per flush (gpf) and 1.6 gpf). The remainder of the shopping center has 1 gpf
toilets. By selecting such water-efficient plumbing fixtures and installing waterless
urinals in higher demand spaces (Circuit City, Michaels, Locos Deli, and McDonald’s),
we have reduced overall water use by nearly 50 percent (a 46 percent reduction for
potable water and a 49 percent reduction for black water). Table 5.1 compares the base-
line water use vs. Abercorn Common’s water use using water-efficient plumbing fix-
tures, as calculated by our engineers.
Just how much a tenant can reduce its water use can be seen in Table 5.2, Circuit
City Water Usage, which compares a baseline non-LEED design with a LEED design
that includes dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, and ultra low-flow faucets and aera-
tors. The comparison is based on a store with 26,600 square feet and 48 people (one
person for every 550 square feet). Water savings are more than 40 percent.
The lush landscaping incorporates plants that are native to coastal Georgia because
they require less water and maintenance and thrive in Savannah’s mild winters and
warm summers. Planting beds and islands in the parking lot include numerous trees
(palms and oaks), evergreen and flowering shrubs, and perennials. Seasonal planted
areas and containers along the brick walkway bloom with colorful annual flowers. All
of the landscaping—all this greenery—is irrigated solely by rainwater that is har-
vested from the roofs of the buildings and stored in an open cistern that’s 60 feet wide
by 120 feet long and twelve feet deep. It typically has about eight feet of water in it
year-round. Using the rainwater for landscape irrigation throughout the property saves
about 5.5 million gallons of water each year. We estimate our tenants collectively save
about $40,000 a year since they are not paying for water to irrigate landscaping, which
lowers the fee they would normally pay for common area maintenance (CAM) else-
where. Water collected and stored in the cistern also is used to fill the three circulating
fountains placed along the brick sidewalk along the fronts of the stores.

TABLE 5.1 ABERCORN COMMON WATER USE

POTABLE WATER
Baseline Potable Water Use 227,288 gallons/year
Design Potable Water Use 123,860 gallons/year
Percentage Potable Water Reduction 46%

BLACK WATER
Baseline Black Water Use 179, 546 gallons/year
Design Black Water Use 91,328 gallons/year
Percentage Black Water Reduction 49%