Opportunities for Improving Water Certification on LBC Projects in Semi-Arid Climates: Colorado Case

Sustainable design and construction continue to gain traction, and more projects are incorporating water usage and efficiency practices into their designs. These practices are important in sustainable building and are prevalent in many projects. This study aimed to examine the Living Building Challenge (LBC) rating system and identify its standards for water efficiency, which are described by the water petal. The feasibility of incorporating water imperatives described in the water petal was investigated by conducting site visits to three projects in Colorado. Observational goals for each site visit were clearly defined as part of the data collection and helped analyze each project. The challenges and successes of each project are also identified and discussed. The results indicated that Colorado water law is one of the most significant challenges, along with the failure of design teams to coordinate with municipalities or utility companies early in the design process. However, progress has been made throughout the three projects, with reduced water usage and efficiency becoming more prevalent in later projects. Efficient water usage will continue to gain importance as the scarcity of water increases; therefore, it is essential to continue working towards incorporating responsible water practices in future projects.