This month, in honor of World Plumbing Day — today, March 11 —green building practices and LEED certification guidelines are in the limelight. In order to exist in this world in a way that benefits our local and national communities and conserves water, our most valuable resource, clean and sustainable plumbing practices are essential.
Obtaining LEED certification is a great place to start. In 1988, the U.S. Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, which provides a point system score card for evaluating environmental performance from the perspective of whole, nonresidential building. The LEED rating is organized into five environmental categories: Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials & Resources, Energy & Atmosphere, Water Efficiency, and Sustainable Sites.