ASTM E2728-19

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Designation: E2728 − 11 E2728 − 19
Standard Guide for
Water Stewardship in the Design, Construction, and
Operation of Buildings
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2728; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This guide is intended to inform sustainable development in the building industry. It outlines ideal sustainability and applied
sustainability for water management, consistent with Guide E2432. Both ideal sustainability and applied sustainability should
inform decisions regarding water management.
1.1.1 Ideal sustainability is patterned on the hydrological cycle. This provides the concept goals and direction for continual
improvement.
1.1.2 Applied sustainability outlines current best practices. This identifies available options considering environmental,
economic, and social opportunities and challenges. The most appropriate option(s) are likely to vary depending on the location of
the project.
1.2 Water management challenges differ enormously depending on the type of built environment and the available water
resources.
1.2.1 The general demands of the built environment vary from very low density rural development to crowded urban
development. Large cities present a particular challenge, with 400 cities worldwide housing over 1 million inhabitants.
1.2.2 Successfully meeting the challenges of uneven distribution of water around the world, depletion of groundwater, changing
rainfall patterns, and other water industry trends requires sustainable solutions for the effective management of the entire water
cycle.
1.2.3 Sustainable design, construction, and operation of water and wastewater services for the built environment are critical
components of water stewardship and global sustainable water management.
1.3 Water stewardship encompasses both pollution prevention (quality issues) and conservation (quantity issues).
1.4 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and to determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
E2114 Terminology for Sustainability Relative to the Performance of Buildings
E2348 Guide for Framework for a Consensus-based Environmental Decision-making Process
E2432 Guide for General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Buildings
E2635 Practice for Water Conservation in Buildings Through In-Situ Water Reclamation
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.07 on Water Use and Conservation.
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2011May 1, 2019. Published March 2011May 2019. Originally approved in 2011. Last previous edition approved in 2011 as E2728–11.
DOI: 10.1520/E2728-11.10.1520/E2728–19.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’sstandard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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2.2 Other Reference Documents:
WaterSense
WWAP World Water Assessment Programme
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—For terms related to sustainability relative to the performance of buildings, refer to Terminology E2114.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 effluent, n—wastewater, treated or untreated, that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, industrial facility, or constructed
source.
3.2.2 emerging pollutant,pollutants, n—substances that have been recently discovered or determined to contaminate the
environment.
3.2.2.1 Discussion—
Emerging pollutants may include endocrinial disruptors, persistant organic pollutants, and pharmeceuticals.
3.2.3 Environmental Management System (EMS), n—procedures for identifying, managing, and improving the environmental
impacts of an organization, facility, product, or service, or a combination thereof.
3.2.3.1 Discussion—
Fundamental to an EMS is implementation of a plan-do-check-act approach that documents current performance levels and
facilitates continual improvement.
3.2.4 green infrastructure, n—an array of products, technologies, and practices that use natural systems, or engineered systems
that mimic natural processes, to enhance overall environmental quality and provide utility services.
3.2.4.1 Discussion—
As a general principal, Green Infrastructure techniques use soils and vegetation to infiltrate, evapotranspirate, or recycle
stormwater runoff, or a combination thereof; examples include: green roofs, porous pavement, rain gardens, and vegetated swales.
3.2.5 hydrologic cycle, n—the continuous circulation of water on, under, and over the Earth’s surface.
3.2.6 nonpotable water, n—water that has not been treated for human consumption in conformance with applicable drinking
water quality regulations.
3.2.7 Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP), n—an organic compounds of natural or anthropogenic origin that resists photolytic,
chemical, and biological degradation and is characterized by low water solubility and high lipid solubility, resulting in
bioaccumulation in fatty tissues of living organisms.
3.2.7.1 Discussion—
POPs are transported in the environment in low concentrations by movement of fresh and marine waters and they are semi-volatile,
enabling them to move along distances in the atmosphere, resulting in wide-spread distribution across the earth, including regions
where they have never been used. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council, at its nineteenth
session in February 1997, identified 12 POPs: Aldrin, Chlordane, Dieldrin, DDT, Endrin, Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene, Mirex,
Toxaphene, PCBs, Dioxins, and Furans.
3.2.8 potable water, n—water that does not endanger the lives or health of human beings and that conforms to applicable
regulations for drinking water quality.
3.2.9 wastewater, n—the spent or used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contains dissolved or suspended
matter.
3.2.10 water effıciency, n—refers to measures, practices, or programs that reduce the water used by specific devices and systems,
typically without affecting the services provided.
3.2.11 water stress, n—refers to consumption of water that exceeds available water resources.
Available from United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ariel Rios William Jefferson Clinton Bldg., 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20460,
http://www.epa.gov/watersense.
Programme Office for Global Water Assessment, UNESCO, Villa La Colombella - Località di Colombella Alta, 06134 Colombella (PERUGIA), Italy, United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 7 place Fontenoy, 75007 Paris, France, http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap.
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3.2.11.1 Discussion—
UNEP considers countries where consumption exceeds 10 % of total supply to be in a water-stressed condition.
3.2.12 watershed, n—the land area that drains into a stream; the watershed for a major river may encompass a number of smaller
watersheds that ultimately combine at a common point.
3.2.13 watershed approach, n—coordinated framework for environmental management that focuses public and private efforts
on the highest priority problems within hydrologically-defined geographic areas taking into consideration both ground and surface
water flow.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 Supply of fresh water is limited and demand is increasing.
4.1.1 The United Nations Population Fund estimates that only 2.5 percent of the water on the Earth is fresh, and only about
0.5 percent is accessible ground or surface water.
4.1.2 While world population tripled in the 20th century, the use of water increased six-fold. The United Nations estimates that
in the year 2017, close to 70 percent of the global population will have problems accessing fresh water. Additionally, more than
2 billion people around the world lack basic sanitation facilities.
4.1.3 According to WWAP, agriculture use accounts for 70 percentpercent of annual worldwide water use, industrial use
accounts for 22 percent and domestic use accounts for 8 percent (1).
4.2 Increased demand has put additional stress on water supplies and distribution systems, threatening both human health and
the environment.
4.3 Increased demand has intensified energy use and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Significant energy is expended
for treatment and distribution of water. According to WaterSense, American public water supply and treatment facilities consume
about 56 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year—enough electricity to power more than 5 million homes for an entire year. In
California, an estimated 19 percent of electricity, 32 percent of natural gas consumption, and 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel
annually power the treatment and distribution of water and wastewater (2).
4.4 The building industry diverts an estimated 16 percent of global fresh water annually (3). It is imperative that design and
construction address water efficiency. The estimate of annual usage of available fresh water by the building industry accounts for
the quantity of water that is required to manufacture building materials and to construct and operate buildings. It does not reflect
the impact of the building industry on the quality of water.
4.5 This guide provides information regarding ideal sustainability and water use.
4.6 This guide provides general options for applied sustainability and water use.
5. Ideal Sustainability
5.1 Stewardship—Ideal stewardship would pattern use on natural cycles and processes.
5.1.1 Quantity—While water may be temporarily diverted from the hydrologic cycle, no measurable difference in total inflows
and outflows to a site would be made.
5.1.2 Quality—While water may be temporarily contaminated, such contamination would not exceed the natural purification
capacity of the hydrologic cycle. No measurable degradation of water quality leaving a site would be made.
5.2 Hydrologic Cycle:
5.2.1 The Earth’s water is continuously moving into and out of various reservoirs, including the atmosphere, land, surface water,
and groundwater. The water moves from one reservoir to another by the physical processes including; evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, infiltration, surface flow, and subsurface flow. In so doing, the water goes through different phases: liquid, solid, and
gas. (See Fig. 1.)
5.2.2 The amount of time it takes to change the physical state of water can take less than a second or more than a million years.
(See Fig. 2.)
5.2.3 Although many processes exist in nature to transform the physical state of water, the quantity of water remains the same
as it is transported through the environment in a continuous cycle.
5.3 Natural Purification—As water moves through the hydrologic cycle it tends to be purified. Many separate processes
contribute to this purification, including:
5.3.1 Distillation—Evaporation of sea water leaves salts behind. This world-wide distillation process results in rain water
containing only traces of nonvolatile impurities, along with gases dissolved from the air.
5.3.2 Aeration—Surface flow that trickles over rocks allows volatile impurities, previously dissolved from mineral deposits or
other sources, to be released into the air. Aeration also promotes rapid growth of microscopic plant and animal organisms that use
certain water contaminants for food and energy.
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to a list of references at the end of this standard.
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NOTE 1—U.S. Geological Survey, The Water Cycle, http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html (accessed January 1, 2011).
FIG. 1 The Water Cycle
NOTE 1—U.S. Geological Survey, The Water Cycle Discharge, http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclegwdischarge.html (accessed January 1,
2011).http://www.usgs.gov.
FIG. 2 Ground Water Flows Underground
5.3.3 Sedimentation—Solid particles settle to the bottom of slow moving or deep waterbodies, or both. Wetlands and streamside
(riparian) forests are particularly important for removing fine sediments from runoff. As sediment-laden water moves across and
through these ecosystems, 80 – 90 percent80 to 90 percent of the fine particles settle to the bottom or are filtered out. Other
pollutants such as organics, metals, and radionuclides (radioactive elements) are often adsorbed by (stuck onto) silt particles.
Settling of the silt removes these pollutants from the water.
5.3.4 Filtration—When water moves through sand, suspended matter such as silt and clay is removed.
5.3.5 Dilution—Dilution with relatively pure water can reduce the concentration of many pollutants to harmless levels.
However, small amounts of some pollutants can contaminate large quantities of water. For example, a single quart of hydraulic
fluid can contaminate 250 000 gallons of ground water. Chemicals that leach into groundwater can remain there long after the
chemical is no longer used. The pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is still found in groundwater in the United States
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even though its use was banned more than 30 years ago. Like pesticides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are pervasive and
commonly found in groundwater supplies. Twenty-nine percent of wells tested in urban areas contained multiple VOCs; overall
a total of 46 different kinds of VOCs turn up in groundwater analyses. The health implications of these combinations of compounds
are unknown (4).
5.3.6 Bioremediation—The layer of bacteria, fungi, and algae that covers underwater surfaces accumulate or break down, or
both, organics and many pollutants. Healthy microbial assemblages in soil and on surfaces in water change the form (and possibly
the toxicity) of pesticides and can remove heavy metals. Wetlands can remove 20 – 60 percent20 to 60 percent of heavy metals in
the waters moving through them.
6. Applied Sustainability
6.1 Where ideal sustainability provides a concept goal, applied sustainability provides options for best practices. These options
are based on current scientific knowledge and available technologies. They are informed by ideal sustainability.
6.1.1 There is still much that is not understood about how aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems provide water purification. Factors
such as location, size, type of soil and vegetation, water flow (patterns and extremes), and the landscape in which the ecosystem
exists are all important. But predicting how much and what type of materials and pollutants can be purified within a natural
ecosystem—without permanently harming the ecosystem—is complex.
6.2 Quantity Impacts—Approximately one third of the world’s population already lives in water stressed conditions. If present
trends continue, two out of every three people on Earth will live in that condition by 2025 (5). According to the EPA, at least
36 states are anticipating local, regional, or statewide water shortages by 2013 (WaterSense).
6.2.1 Conservation—A successful water conservation program typically includes a comprehensive water management plan.
This plan should provide clear information about how a facility uses its water, from the time it is piped onto the facility through
its ultimate disposal. The plan should include information about source water, including local water and wastewater infrastructure
capabilities, surface and ground water resources, watershed(s) related to the facility and the facilities’facilities’ water sources, and
community water demands. If the facility has an EMS, the water management plan should be a consistent part of the EMS. U.S.
Federal Water Use Indices that may be useful in establishing a water budget for a facility are identified in Appendix X2.
6.2.2 Building design, construction, and operation that improves water conservation include a range of water efficient materials
and methods. Examples are as follows:
6.2.2.1 Water Effıcient Fixtures and Equipment—A variety of high efficiency options exist.
NOTE 1—In response to the requirements set forth in previous Executive Order (EO) 13123, which required federal agencies to reduce water use
through cost-effective water efficiency improvements, U.S. Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) developed BMPs for
water. In response to EO 423423 and to account for recent changes in technology in water use patterns the EPA’sEPA’s WaterSense Office has updated
the original BMPs. The updated BMPs below were developed to help federal agency personnel achieve water efficiency goals of EO 13423 (6).
Some of the most common options are identified and described by the FEMP and include best management practices for:
(a) Toilets and Urinals
(b) Faucets and Showerheads
(c) Boiler/Steam Systems
(d) Single-Pass Cooling Equipment
(e) Cooling Tower Management
(f) Commercial Kitchen Equipment
(g) Laboratory/Medical Equipment
6.2.2.2 Water Effıcient Site Planning and Landscaping—Water-efficient landscapes using native and other climate appropriate
landscape materials can reduce irrigation water use by more than 50 percent. In many instances, after plant establishment, no
supplemental irrigation will be necessary. Where necessary, water efficient irrigation should be incorporated. The American Society
of Landscape Architects (ASLA) outlines sustainable approaches to landscaping in the ASLA Code of Environmental Ethics (7)
and ASLA Public Policies (8).
6.2.2.3 Operation and Maintenance: A distribution system audit, leak detection, and repair program can help facilities reduce
water losses and make better use of limited water resources. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) provides general
information on water loss control and audit methodology (9).
6.2.3 Alternate Water Sources—Rainwater harvesting and water reclamation and reuse offer effective means of conserving the
Earth’s limited high-quality freshwater supplies while helping to meet the ever growing demands for water in residential,
commercial, and institutional development. Refer to Practice E2635.
6.2.4 Aquifer Recharge—In many areas of the world, aquifers that supply drinking-water are being used faster than they
recharge. In coastal areas, aquifers can become contaminated with saline water if water is withdrawn faster than it can naturally
be replaced. The increasing salinity makes the water unfit for drinking and often also renders it unfit for irrigation. To remedy these
problems, some authorities have chosen to recharge aquifers artificially with treated wastewater, using either infiltration or
injection. Aquifers may also be passively recharged (intentionally or unintentionally) by septic tanks, wastewater applied to
irrigation and other means. Aquifer recharge with treated wastewater is likely to increase in future because it can:
6.2.4.1 Restore depleted groundwater levels.
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6.2.4.2 Facilitate water storage during times of high water availability.
6.2.4.3 Provide a barrier to saline intrusion in coastal
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