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By Stacy Hunt


PROPER PLUMBING B


Everything you ever wanted to know about sustainable plumbing strategies.


Before I begin, I have a confession to make. I’m an energy bigot. Most of my work is in the energy and environmental construction industry, deal-


ing with engineers, analysts, researchers and policy makers. In my world, it’s as simple as this—sustainability in the house as a system starts with energy effi ciency. Without proper consideration for energy effi ciency, talking about other attributes of sustainability is worthless. No one wants to hear about the relative


sustainability of rapidly renewable fl oor- ing versus old growth wood fl ooring when his or her house has more air leakage than


the neighboring barn. When asked to write an article about


“plumbing system sustainability,” I was intrigued. Not only are the energy impacts of plumbing systems signifi cant, but the water use impacts (second only to energy) are also noteworthy. In addition, there are signifi cant environmental impacts of resi- dential plumbing systems—namely, the manufacture of the multitude of products (equipment, piping, fi ttings, fi xtures), their durability (after all, it’s not sustainable if you have to replace or remodel it quickly), hot water, and the management of waste- water. You’ll fi nd that this article largely focuses on the core components associ-


30 GreenBuilder October 2010


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