Water
Not only does having a strategy for a home's water usage save money on your utility bill, it also helps prevent pollution and water runoff from damaging local habitats and watersheds, an essential consideration to the Green Life Smart Life project with its close proximity to the beauty of Narragansett Bay.

With the addition of drought-resistant plants and plantings for erosion control and supporting local wildlife habitats, the landscape design will be a signature exterior element of the home's beauty and environmental awareness. A mix of native grasses, sea grasses, bushes, flowers and trees, all of the plantings will be non-invasive, drought-tolerant and purposed specifically for this piece of land.

With a goal to reduce landscaping irrigation demand by 40%, the homeowners are installing a 2,000-gallon cistern to harvest rainwater from the home's roof for exterior landscaping applications. The use of rain sensors will monitor adequate rainfall and override the cycle of an automated smart irrigation system for periods when the grass and plants do not need watering.

Using a landscape architect who has been through LEED® before, the team devised a strategy to make their land 100% permeable. Instead of an asphalt driveway, they will use pea stone - a permeable paving solution made of small stones that allow rain water to filter into the soil below instead of becoming runoff - thus preserving the quality of the water, natural stepping stones found during excavation and cobblestone paths with moss plantings between.

Inside the home, high efficiency products such as fixtures and fittings (faucets, showers and toilets) will be used for optimum water conservation. A low consumption toilet has a flow rate of less than 1.3 gallons per flush (gpf) - about half as many gallons used by a conventional toilet. High efficiency showers and faucets must have a flow rate of less than 2 gallons per minute (gpm). A high efficiency front-loading washer will also be installed in the home. According to the EPA, a front-loading washing machine uses between 20-25 gallons per wash as opposed to the 40 gallons used by a traditional top-loading washer.

The net result for the home will be water conservation that saves the family money, offsets the need for municipal water, diverts water from the local water inlets and storm sewers, and uses natural resources to sustain the land.

Learn more:
For Rhode Island water conservation information, visit the Rhode Island Water Resources Board here
To learn more about saving water in the home, visit H2OUSE.