Operational Life-Cycle Assessment and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis for Water Use in Multioccupant Buildings

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle cost analysis (LCC) techniques are used to study a 25-year operational life cycle for plumbing fixtures and water-consuming appliances for four different multioccupant building scenarios: an apartment, a college dormitory, a motel, and an office building. Both analysis methodologies suggest that the specification of higher-efficiency fixtures and appliances is environmentally and economically justified for the scenarios considered. Additionally, both the LCA and LCC results suggest that natural gas should be used insted of electricity for water heating when both energy sources are practical options. The study found the dominant environmental impacts of domestic water consumption to be attributable to water intake, global warming potential, and fossil-fuel depletion. The dominant life-cycle cost component is for maintenance, repair, and replacement. The results of this study can be especially beneficial to long-term building owners, such as universities, because operational costs savings can be realized.