Water efficiency to become critical to green commercial buildings

The critical next stage of green building industry will focus on water efficiency, according to report from McGraw-Hill Construction.

By Source: McGraw-Hill Construction June 8, 2009

Over the next five years,

water efficiency and conservation will become critical factors in green design,

construction, and product selection, according to McGraw-Hill Construction’s

latest SmartMarket Report, Water Use in Buildings , released

recently with support from The Chicago Faucet Co. and Sloan Valve Co.

Architecture and engineering (A/E) firms, contractors, and owners report that

water efficiency is rapidly becoming a higher priority than other aspects of

green building, such as energy efficiency and waste reduction.

According to the United

Nations Environmental Program, buildings consume 20% of the world’s available

water, a resource that becomes scarcer each year. Efficient practices and

products, such as grey water treatment and low-flow plumbing fixtures, provide

significant opportunities for the A/E industry to respond to this trend and

build high-tech, low-water-demand projects that will turn the tide on the water

crisis and create the conscientious buildings of tomorrow.

The report covers

involvement levels and growth opportunities over the next five years, as well

business benefits, motives, and obstacles encountered in this advancing market.

Read the full report.