TheLEED for Homes Rating System (v4)includes theWater Efficiency (WE) Prerequisite: Total Water Use, which requires metering to monitor water consumption in LEED-certified homes, even those using well water.
According to theLEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction (v4):
WE Prerequisite: Total Water Use
Install water meters to measure total potable water use for the entire home, including indoor and outdoor uses. For multifamily or attached housing (e.g., semi-detached homes), each dwelling unit must have its own water meter to track individual usage accurately.
Source: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, Water Efficiency Prerequisite: Total Water Use, p. 94.
TheLEED v4.1 Residential BD+Crating system confirms:
WE Prerequisite: Total Water Use
In attached housing projects, such as semi-detached homes, each unit must have a separate water meter to monitor potable water use, regardless of whether the water source is municipal or well water.
Source: LEED v4.1 Residential BD+C, Credit Library, accessed via USGBC LEED Online.
For two semi-detached homes using well water, the builder mustinstall two water meters for each unit separately(Option A) to comply with the prerequisite, ensuring individual monitoring of water use for each dwelling unit.
Why not the other options?
[Reference: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, WE Prerequisite: Total Water Use, p. 94., C. These two semi-detached homes will be exempt from the prerequisite of Water Efficiency: There is no exemption for well water; all LEED homes must meet the metering prerequisite.Reference: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, WE Prerequisite: Total Water Use, p. 94., D. At least one water meter will be shared by two units, and another separate meter will be used for monitoring landscaping water usage: Individual unit metering is required, and while a separate landscaping meter is encouraged (e.g., for WE Credit: Outdoor Water Use), it is not a prerequisite requirement.Reference: LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, WE Credit: Outdoor Water Use, p. 98., TheLEED AP Homes Candidate Handbookemphasizes WE prerequisites, including water metering, and references theLEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Constructionas a key resource. The exam is based onLEED v4, ensuring the relevance of individual metering for attached homes., References:, LEED Reference Guide for Homes Design and Construction, v4, USGBC, Water Efficiency Prerequisite: Total Water Use, p. 94., LEED v4.1 Residential BD+C, USGBC LEED Credit Library, accessed via LEED Online (https://www.usgbc.org/credits)., LEED AP Homes Candidate Handbook, GBCI, October 2024, p. 12 (references study resources and exam scope based on LEED v4)., USGBC LEED for Homes Rating System (v4), available via USGBC website (https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-homes-design-and-construction-v4)., LEED v4.1 for Homes, USGBC, accessed via LEED Online, confirming metering requirements., ]