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WaterSense Landscape Water Budget Tool
28 Nov, 2008 LDB SolutionsThe Environmental Protection Agency has developed a tool to help landscape designers, builders and irrigation professionals develop a water budget outlined in the draft specification for water-efficient single family new homes and to make a complex calculation more straightforward. the tool is part of EPA's WaterSense program, which is a partnership among irrigation and landscape professionals, manufacturers, retialers and distributors to promote water-efficient manufacturers. The agency would like to hear what you think of the water budget tool.
You can download the Microsoft Excel water budget tool and overview of the water budget approach. EPA is interested in obtaining input from all interested parties on the WaterSense landscape water budget tool. The tool uses the evapotranspiration and available precipitation limits published in the May 22, 2008 Draft Water-Efficient Single Family New Home Specification. There will be an opportunity to comment on these values after the release of a second Draft Water-Efficient Single Family New Home Specification, but at this time, EPA is interested in comments pertaining to the functionality of the tool.
EPA is looking for specific guidance on the following items:
- Data source recommendations.
EPA used data tables based on the Irrigation Association's Landscape Irrigation Scheduling and Water Management to populate Table 2 (Landscape Coefficients) and Table 3 (Irrigation Efficiencies) in Part 2 of the calculator. EPA is aware of data supporting a variety of values for landscape coefficients and irrigation efficiencies, and welcomes input on appropriate data sources. - Sources of local reference evapotranspiration (ETo).
EPA has recommended that users of the tool check with local Cooperative Extension offices or weather organizations regarding local ETo values. It would like to know if comprehensive lists or additional sources of local ETo data exist.
The public comment period for the WaterSense landscape water budget tool will be open until December 19, 2008.
In order to facilitate the consistency and utility of comments received, please submit your comments using the Template for Public Comment Submission (MS Word) (1 pp, 50K). You may either download/save this document template and directly insert your comments, or attach your comments in your own document, provided that for each comment topic you include the text/section to which you are referring, the suggested modification to that text/section, and rationale supporting that modification.
Please send any comments or suggestions regarding this landscape water budget tool to watersense-newhomes@erg.com before 5:00 pm EST on December 19, 2008. All comments become a part of the public record.
Please send any technical comments or questions to our webmaster.