Sustainable Facilities Tool U.S. General Services Administration

https://www3.epa.gov/watersense/docs/water-efficient_landscaping_508.pdf

/Content/attachments/recommendations_on_sustainable_landscaping_practices.pdf

Water used for landscaping and irrigation purposes accounts for close to 20% of a facility’s overall consumption and should be limited as much...

Limit the need for landscape irrigation by xeriscaping.

An aesthetically pleasing landscape is important in creating a pleasant environment for occupants and guests alike. The landscape architect is respo...

The landscape architect is responsible for advising on sustainable landscape design and maintenance, to minimize the amount of waste transported fro...

Maintain on-site structures, hardscape, and landscape amenities.

Ask your landscaping service provider or local composting facility if they accept wood pallets for mulch.

Institute landscaping practices that reduce shipments of green waste, such as mulching mowers.

The Landscape Architect is responsible for site analysis and can provide the design, layout, plant, and growing medium selection for the planted roo...

Implement water efficient irrigation equipment such as drip or micro irrigation and   advanced weather based controls for landscaping that...

Use alternate non-potable water sources such as gray water, rainwater, air handling unit condensate, cooling tower blow-down or discharge from other...

Where existing structures will be demolished, is there a demolition plan to maximize the salvage and recycling of building and landscape materials?

Maintenance costs will be higher any time a planted roof includes a landscaped design, as workers will also need to spend time maintaining the desig...

The Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird...

Guiding Principle 3 addresses the need to "Protect and Conserve Water" in facilities indoors and outdoors as well as using alternative water sourc...

Consider water consumption when maintaining landscape. Avoid using water to clean sidewalks, parking lots, or other hardscapes. Use mulch and suffic...

If local codes allow it, has each site been evaluated in terms of whether there is sufficient land area on the site to construct a wetland or greywa...

Does the landscaping minimize the need for irrigation? Are other sources of water used for irrigation such as: Rainwater? Graywater?

Greywater is the water stemming from processes such as showers, hand basins, or kitchen sinks but does not contain any human waste. Reusing greywate...

The plumbing engineer takes on the responsibility of ensuring that water, whether potable or non-potable, provides its intended benefit throughout t...

Civil engineers provide engineering expertise for the water related aspects of the building site, including how on-site water is supplied to the bui...

Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) for Building Design and Construction (BD+C) addresses components of a sustainable water system ...

Green Globes for Existing Buildings encourages cognitive implementation and metering of water heating equipment for energy efficiency measures. With...

The Architect leads the planted roof design team. Since the roofing system is integrated into the building as a whole, the Architect should design t...

The Structural Engineer, in collaboration with the Landscape Architect, determines structural loads associated with planted roof renovation and ensu...

SITES is an interdisciplinary partnership to transform land development and management practices through voluntary guidelines and rating system...

Harvesting systems capture alternate water sources, provide adequate treatment typically for non-potable applications to offset the consumption of p...

Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) for Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) dedicates certification credits to reducing the b...

The integrative design process understands that buildings, their components, and their context are interrelated. Whole building systems observe this...

Commercial buildings have significant opportunities to conserve the quantity of water needed for daily operations through thoughtful design of the b...

Typical Federal Office Building Potable Water UseA typical Federal office building with 200 employees uses about 3,000 gallons of water in one day...

Alternate water sources are not from freshwater such as surface or groundwater. Alternate water is typically collected and stored on-site and then ...

A “roof over our heads” is an essential part of a building envelope, protecting occupants and building structures and systems from the e...

Cost Savings The national average landfill tipping fee was $45 per ton in 2012. Diverting waste from landfills can lower total waste disposal cos...