| Buildings use water for many functions, including in operations, outdoor spaces, and indoor fixtures. The amount and type of water used for each of these functions determines the total impact that a project has on water resources. |
建筑在多种功能中使用水，包括运营、室外空间和室内设备。每种功能所使用的水量和类型决定了项目对水资源的总体影响。 |
| Why it matters: |
为何重要： |
- Clean drinking water is a limited resource that requires a significant societal investment. Nearly 97% of Earth's water is seawater, which is not suitable for drinking unless it is treated through a very energy-intensive process. Almost all of the remaining water is either frozen (in glaciers and ice caps) or locked up in groundwater. Most drinking water comes from rivers, which make up just 0.05% of Earth's freshwater. Rivers also support many ecosystems and ecosystem services.
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- 清洁饮用水是一种有限资源，需要大量社会投入。地球上近97%的水是海水，除非经过能耗极高的处理过程，否则不适合饮用。剩余水量几乎全部被冻结（冰川和冰盖）或封存在地下水中。大多数饮用水来自河流，而河流仅占地球淡水量的0.05%。河流还支撑着许多生态系统和生态系统服务。
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- The treatment and transportation of water require large amounts of energy and represent the largest use of energy for most municipalities in the U.S., typically accounting for 30–40% of energy consumption.
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- 水的处理和输送需要大量能源，是美国大多数市政最大的能源消耗，通常占能源消耗的30%–40%。
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- Climate change presents several threats to the water supply, the most direct of which is widespread drought, leading to water shortages. Sea-level rise and inland flooding also can harm supplies of freshwater in coastal areas and contaminate rivers and streams.
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- 气候变化对供水构成多种威胁，最直接的是大范围干旱，导致水资源短缺。海平面上升和内陆洪涝也可能损害沿海地区的淡水供应，并污染河流和溪流。
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- Water is also used in energy production, both in conventional fossil-fuel–burning power plants and in renewable energy sources, like hydroelectric dams. This means that limited water resources can disrupt both energy generation and water availability.
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- 能源生产也使用水，包括传统化石燃料发电厂和可再生能源（如水力发电大坝）。这意味着有限的水资源可能同时影响能源生产和水的可用性。
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| Running a faucet for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours. (Source: EPA WaterSense) |
开水龙头5分钟消耗的能源约等于一盏60瓦灯泡运行14小时所消耗的能源。（来源：EPA WaterSense） |
| How Water Efficiency strategies can help: |
节水增效策略如何发挥作用： |
- Green buildings implement water-saving strategies in order to use water wisely. Project teams follow an integrative process that begins with assessing existing water resources, identifying opportunities for reducing water demand, and incorporating alternative water supplies that reduce the demand for clean drinking water. This efficiency-first approach allows project teams to maximize their impact.
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- 绿色建筑实施节水策略以合理用水。项目团队遵循整合过程，首先评估现有水资源，确定减少用水需求的机会，最后引入替代水源以减少对饮用水的需求。这种效率优先的方法使项目团队能够最大化其影响。
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- Integrative project teams consider water conservation goals holistically, as part of overall goal setting. Water conservation goals impact site planning, project resilience, and occupant health.
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- 整合项目团队从整体上考虑节水目标，将其作为总体目标设定的一部分。节水目标影响场地规划、项目韧性和使用者健康。
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- Tracking water use at a granular level with meters allows projects to identify problems early and make informed decisions about specific water-conservation strategies.
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- 通过计量设备以精细化的方式跟踪用水，使项目能够及早发现问题并做出明智决策。
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- Projects can reduce total water use by minimizing water used for irrigation, indoor fixtures, and building processes.
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- 项目可以通过减少灌溉、室内设备和建筑系统的用水量来降低总用水量。
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