Key Terms

The estimated water usage when using fixtures that meet the standard building code minimal requirements.

Innovative design strategies that reduce the amount of water that must be supplied by local utilities. These measures can include collecting water from on-site sources as well as designing features and specifying systems that do not require off-site water.

Recyclable water collected from sinks, showers, washing machines, and fixtures that do not introduce any sanitary waste. Greywater is typically used for irrigation as well as flushing toilets and urinals.

Collecting, storing, and using the rainwater that naturally falls on a building or site. Rainwater harvesting is an example of a net-zero measure, using water from an on-site source (that would otherwise be wasted) to reduce the water consumed from local utilities.