It seems that here in my part of the Golden State, summer skipped by us this year. While we always have water on our mind in Santa Barbara, we've waited patiently for any chance of the sun to appear so we could hit the beach, park or pool. But there is the not so gentle reminder from my water bill that, even without the summer heat, my sprinklers are always running working hard to nudge my garden to life and keep the grass green for the kiddo's and canines.

Despite summer's disappointment and my lack of tomatoes, I attempted to limit my water usage and adjust my environmental footprint with the installation of a new salt-free water softener. This new unit sent to me by Nuvo H2o sat in my garage for a few months until last Tuesday. My plumber came over and installed the unit in no time. I waited and waited for it to kick in. I washed dishes, laundry and my hair. Clearly the claims that this chelation system would bind the minerals and just wash them away didn't work. My hair screamed! It seems that everyone is on the green scene these days, but parsing out the good from the not so good will take some time.

Water here in the arid southwest is a treasure, but becoming increasingly scarce. Our history of fights over water rights and our confusing plural system that attempts to meld riparian, appropriative rights, and pueblo rights is enough to make my head spin. With all the latest pushes spent on alternative energy it seems key to include a focus on water - a life source for all of us as well.

With this timely issue in mind, given our current drought and conflicting issues to obtain water, I welcome you to this months journal focusing on water use, retention, and storage. We welcome all our contributing writers this month. While they come from varied backgrounds on several fronts on a multitude of water issues, we embrace their willingness to share their expertise to educate us all on how we can pull desperate systems to obtain a common goal - fresh water for everyone.

Beginning with Alicia Marrs we have an article discussing the Environmental Protection Agency's Watersense Program. This program, started in 2006, began by labelling water-efficient appliances. We all need some help sometimes deciding how to reduce our water footprint. Presently the Watersense Program embodies an entire voluntary rating system for water-efficient homes! We've focused a lot on energy efficiency the past decade, and until now there has been no such system. It's good to see our government taking the initiative and adding to the great movement going on within green building and design.

Moving along that last point we have the concept of net-zero water, and an article by Damon van der Linde and Steven Peck. Concerned mainly with the ways a green roof can accomplish this, the article addresses how vegetated rooftops aid in stormwater reduction and water storage. Combined with rain barrels and other measures, a green roof may be your biggest asset.

While this is a snapshot of what you can find in the journal, dive in and enjoy the articles, blogs, videos and news. Explore the Green Building Pro social media community, engage with other members, and contribute your expertise to collaborate and communicate with other green building professionals.

I am very excited to be a part of the Green Building Expo Online Event Series, addressing a new topic each month. The next event will contain webcasts and Q&A sessions with thought leaders focusing on the topic of remodels and retrofits. Join me October 20th for a half day online event beginning with a 50 minute open panel discussion.

We welcome you to join us in our community and attend our monthly online series, either as an attendee, sponsor, speaker or all of the above. Feel free to contact me with your interest in topics for future journal editions and our Green Building Expo Online Event Series. I look forward to joining you online in the Green Building Pro community.

Jenica Egan
Editor in Chief
Green Building Journal
Jenica.Egan@SparkInteractive.com
Follow us on Twitter @buildgreenpro

Within the building industry the need for improving existing structures is greater than ever. Through remodels and retrofits of current building stock we can reach higher efficiencies, reduce our energy dependence, and revitalize the workforce.

There are a number of current opportunities within commercial and residential buildings that can lead to operational savings and environmental benefits. Lighting retrofits and other options considered ‘low-hanging fruit’ are very cost-effective, and when combined with an energy audit can provide significant results. From there other options become apparent such as increasing HVAC efficiency, replacing windows, and utilizing renewable energy. Examine these options and more during this half-day online event where LEED APs and AIA members can earn self-reported Continuing Education credits.

Join Green Building Journal Editor-in-Chief Jenica Egan for this live event, beginning with a 50 minute open panel discussion on the topic of Remodels and Retrofits. Following the panel, individual sessions will focus on topics within green building and design such as sustainable renovation and home performance. You can choose which of the four 50 minute sessions to watch live or come back another day to watch them On-Demand.
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Net Zero Water is an up-and-coming sustainable building concept that is analogous to the better-known Net Zero Energy. The goal of Net Zero water is to achieve water independence and manage most—or ideally all—stormwater runoff. Green roofs are one of the most powerful tools to accomplish this, especially on a large scale.
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In high-density urban areas in the Netherlands

Our climate is changing. Increasingly, we are facing intensive rain showers, with large amounts of water falling in short periods of time. Pumps alone cannot handle these large volumes of water. More space is needed to store water (temporarily), but space is not abundant in the densely populated Netherlands. This situation stresses the need for innovative solutions for storing water, combined with spatial functions such as housing, infrastructure, economic development and nature. For these urban areas, DHV identified cost effective innovative solutions to create extra water storage capacity.
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Why is it, that in developed countries we have changed our behaviour and now routinely sort and recycle our solid waste, yet we still deal with our liquid waste the same way we have done for the last few hundred years?

Before we go any further, I should clarify a term used herein. Most people talk about ‘wastewater’, in this article we will refer to this as ‘used’ water.
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China is trying to lead the way as the world's greenest country, and while it may manufacture the most or near the most solar panels of any other country, its green manifestation is questionable. From what I've seen here in China, it seems, for instance, there seems to be a gap between going green and conserving or protecting water. To be sure there are water-conserving methods for posterity's sake. A public service announcement produced advises television viewers, "Water is a scarce comedy," as I run to the bathroom again to stop the toilet's continual running. I'm lucky; I have a Western loo in my 43-square-meter abode. Toilets here often get stuck, forcing you to stand at the loo and wait for it to complete flushing, then to toggle the button until the water ceases. They feature a dual-flush system, though that's a practice in futility; both high and low buttons produce the same amount of water, that of the second flush. Furthermore, toilets leak, leaving a puddle of water on public and private bathroom floors. This is particularly evident in Asian loos, which are glamorized holes in the floor. But that's enough potty talk.
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As a green building professional, you know the importance of staying on the leading edge of green construction trends, technologies, and tactics. With this in mind, here’s a pop quiz:

What is WaterSense®?

A. The latest in IQ-boosting sports drinks to keep you sharp on the jobsite;

B. Leak-detecting piping for residential construction; or

C. A water-efficiency partnership and certification program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

If you answered C, congratulations, you have done your homework. For the rest of you, these crib notes should hopefully prove useful in learning about an important new chapter in green building.
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Among green building professionals, the relative importance of water conservation has increased as a topic of concern during the past two years. As energy-efficiency measures have become more widely adopted in new construction, the green building industry has shifted more of its focus to water conservation. In the LEED 2009 rating system, for example, certification requires that buildings reduce water use by at least 20 percent from a baseline or “code” building. A 2008 survey found that 85 percent of real estate professionals believed that water efficiency would be a very important aspect of green building in 2013, compared to 69 percent who said that it was in 2008.
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think we have a bit of a sustainability crisis that is “hiding” in plain sight. I remember when I started working in and around the area of employee engagement (we didn’t call it that then) over ten years ago. I felt in my gut and could show anecdotally that there was a relationship between how people felt about their work and the organization they worked for and how they performed.

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The George Washington University (GW) wanted to convert Square 80, an underutilized space, into an urban, multi-functional, sustainable plaza. STUDIO39 Landscape Architecture, PC was chosen to design and transform the site into social gathering spaces. Square 80 now serves as an urban plaza with a central open space and an outdoor classroom for the university’s Landscape Design & Sustainable Landscapes programs. STUDIO39, a landscape architecture firm based in Alexandria, VA, was perfectly suited for this project because of the firm’s focus on sustainable and green roof design.

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While the debate abounds concerning the effects of global climate change, deforestation and increasing world population, one thing is clear. Water is a precious resource. Whether a necessity, honorable stewardship of the planet’s natural resources, or just good business sense; the efficient use of water is an environmental initiative worth the challenge. Individuals and businesses that take voluntary steps to plan and implement water saving projects are differentiating themselves as socially responsible and economically savvy.

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Dry Run, Jerry Yudelson’s latest book, tackles water issues and how urban environments can best handle upcoming water shortages and crises. As he explains, the case for green buildings has already been established and now it’s time to shift our attention. Not only does he describe upcoming problems and current shortcomings with urban water management, but he also outlines how to tackle the situation head on.

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