Built Green Canada launches partnership with Green Builder Coalition for water conservation certification

EDMONTON — Built Green Canada has announced it is partnering with the Green Builder Coalition to launch a water-efficiency certification program in Canada.

The Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS) program is intended for the residential building industry, noted a recent release.

WERS uses a scoring scale to assess indoor water use in the main plumbing fixtures of toilets, showers, lavatory and kitchen sinks, clothes washers and structural waste.

The program also includes the ability to account for outdoor water use as well as reuse via rainwater, greywater and blackwater catchment calculations.

Depending on the filtration methods for rainwater and greywater, they can be used to offset indoor water use. Additionally, any remaining unused rainwater or greywater can be credited to potential outdoor use, said the statement.

Built Green Canada and the Green Builder Coalition are not-for-profit organizations.

Built Green Canada offers third-party certified programs in the residential building sector.

“While energy efficiency is an essential component of sustainable building practices, and our programs, we want to broaden the conversation and shine a light on a more balanced approach that also includes indoor air quality, waste management and water conservation, some of the key areas of our programs,” said Built Green Canada’s CEO Jenifer Christenson in the statement.

“Despite Canada’s water endowment, we are not immune to water shortages and periods of drought. Moreover, reductions in water usage will save energy, further contributing to the decrease in GHGs.”

“Water shortages and droughts don’t adhere to boundaries, so taking WERS beyond the borders of the United States is a natural progression for the program,” said Mike Collignon, executive director of the Green Builder Coalition.

“I’ve long felt that the policies and incentives that can be linked to WERS are equally applicable, and potentially more essential, outside the United States. We’re excited to partner with Built Green Canada on this journey.”

The WERS tool will be “Canadianized” in the coming months, verifier training will occur in the spring, and Built Green is encouraging trials through 2019 for its single-family, renovations and high-density programs.