As the latest step in its WaterSense program, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a tool to guide builders, landscape professionals, and irrigation partners through the water budget calculations of the draft specification for water-efficient single-family new homes. The landscape water budget tool will help determine:
- The amount of water the designed landscape is allowed (budgeted) based on EPA criteria.
- How much water the designed landscape requires based on climate, plant type, and irrigation system efficiency.
- Whether the designed landscape meets the budgeted amount.
Click here to read the water budget tool and approach strategy. EPA is inviting all interested parties to provide comments on this new tool, specifically recommendations on data sources and sources of local reference evapotranspiration (ETo).
Send comments or suggestions to watersense-newhomes@erg.com. (Note all comments become part of the public record.) The public comment period ends Dec. 19.
WaterSense will also be issuing two additional documents for public comment in the near future:
- Draft WaterSense New Home Certification Protocol (December 2008).
- Second draft of the Water-Efficient Single Family New Home Specification, including responses to comments on the first draft (early 2009).
If you have questions about the landscape water budget tool, please contact the WaterSense Helpline at 866/987-7367 or e-mail watersense@epa.gov.