Activities
Santa Barbara Eyes WERS for Administering Code Compliance
On August 14th, 2018, Santa Barbara (CA) City Council adopted an ordinance modifying water metering regulations and incentivizing ultra-high water use efficiency projects. To help assess the efficiency of multifamily projects, the City is looking to enlist the Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)® as a path to administer compliance.
Under the new ordinance, developers would have more flexible water metering options by verifying their project meets ultra-high water use efficiency standards through an independent rating institution. The Public Works Director is finalizing an administrative policy for implementation of the ordinance, including standards for ultra-high water use efficiency and approval of independent rating institutions. Madeline Wood, Water Conservation Supervisor for the City of Santa Barbara, said, “We worked with local industry stakeholders to formulate a path to code compliance that both met the City’s need for conservation and the practical needs of the design/build community. After much consideration, we think this will be a good fit for all parties.”
The Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS)® is an independent rating system that evaluates water usage and conservation. Since it is a performance-based program, it would allow the City to simultaneously enforce existing conservation requirements while incentivizing new efficiency measures. At the same time, there is a certain level of flexibility for the design/build community within the program in order to help meet client needs.
“The City of Santa Barbara’s innovative spirit should be commended,” stated Mike Collignon, Chair of the WERS Development Group. “They are the first municipality to incorporate performance-based water conservation into their multifamily regulations.” Collignon also lauded the collaborative efforts of Santa Fe, NM. At the request of Santa Barbara staff, Santa Fe shared their codification experience with WERS. The City of Santa Fe has used WERS as a code requirement for single-family properties since March 2017.
The ordinance does not take effect until September 13, 2018. For more information about WERS, please visit www.wers.us.
Industry News
Call for Entries Now Open for Green Builder Sustainability Awards
Green Builder Media’s annual Home of the Year Awards have been the industry standard for recognizing excellence in high performance, sustainably built residential projects and the professionals who design and construct them.
In 2019, they are expanding their awards program, which will now be referred to as the Green Builder Sustainability Awards™, to include categories for the most sustainable development, municipal sustainability program, building products manufacturer, and “Sustainability Superhero” (the individual who has made the greatest contribution in the built environment.)
The call for entries is open until October 5, 2018. To enter your esteemed green project, innovative product, or sustainability advocate for consideration, please click here.
Award winners will receive coverage in the Jan/Feb 2019 issue of Green Builder magazine, as well as recognition at a special gala in Caesars Palace on February 17, 2019 and at Green Builder Media’s Sustainability Symposium 2019: The Desert Shall Bloom on February 18.
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