A project team is pursuing Water Efficiency Credit, Outdoor Water Use. The site contains a total of 57,500 ft² (5,342 m²) of softscape. What ratio of…

To achieve four points, the project must adhere to the thresholds specified in the provided table. The total softscape area is 57,500 ft².

1. Turf grass requirement: The area must be less than 5% of the total softscape.

Calculation: 57,500 ft² × 0.05 = 2,875 ft². The turf grass area must be < 2,875 ft².

2. Native or adapted plant requirement: The area must be greater than 75% of the total softscape.

Calculation: 57,500 ft² × 0.75 = 43,125 ft². The native/adapted plant area must be > 43,125 ft².

Option C, with 2,500 ft² of turf grass and 44,000 ft² of native/adapted landscape, is the only choice that satisfies both conditions (2,500 43,125).

A: The turf grass area of 12,600 ft² (21.9%) exceeds the 75% requirement.

B: The turf grass area of 11,500 ft² (20%) exceeds the 75% requirement.

D: The turf grass area of 4,500 ft² (7.8%) exceeds the <5% limit, even though the native plant area meets its requirement.

1. U.S. Green Building Council. (2016). LEED v4 for Homes Design and Construction. Washington, DC: USGBC. The principles are detailed in WE Credit: Outdoor Water Use, Option 2: Reduced Irrigation, which awards points based on limiting turf grass and maximizing native or adapted plants as a percentage of the total landscaped area (p. 111-112, Table 2). The question's table is a scenario based on this credit's methodology.