Los Angeles, CA (September 14, 2021) The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles (USGBC-LA) is partnering with the 50 Liter Home Coalition to pilot the water-efficient home concept in the greater LA region. The aim of this collaboration is to help reimagine residential water use and create the net zero home of the future. Imagine a world where 50 liters (or 13 gallons) of daily water use per person is not only attainable, but enjoyable. So far in 2021, average daily residential water use in California is 86 gallons, but the 50L Home Coalition is looking to change that by reinventing the future of water use to make water-efficient lifestyles irresistible. With California, the world’s fifth largest economy, in the throes of another severe drought, Los Angeles offers an important testing and demonstration opportunity for the 50L Home concept through design and policy pathways.

The 50L Home Coalition is a global action-oriented platform that addresses two of the world’s most pressing challenges – water security and climate change. The Coalition’s approach is to both encourage water and energy efficiency in households and generate awareness that leads to sustainable lifestyle choices. This aligns with USGBC-LA’s education-focused mission and ability to work at the community level, using design workshops and policy discussions, to enact positive change for the region.

“This is such a critical moment for us to form new partnerships and shift our way of thinking to address water use across our communities, but especially at home,” says Ben Stapleton, Executive Director of USGBC-LA. “Through this collaboration with the 50L Home Coalition, we will not only be looking at policy and piloting transformative technologies around water use; we’ll also explore how to reduce the energy used to heat and move that water.”

Integrated water and energy efficiency

USGBC-LA’s role in the partnership will include scoping, case identification, co-development, delivery of pilots, and final case studies detailing key insights, actionable recommendations, and potential pathways for advancing the innovative technologies utilized during the project. Our focus will be on piloting residential solutions not currently available, and within that, on integrated water and energy efficiency and building an engaged local community of experts who will continue these efforts long-term.

Two workshops will be held in the coming months:
● A design charrette with a local Advisory Group gathered by USGBC-LA and the 50L Home team; and
● A policy roundtable to identify the barriers and solutions needed to advance codes and standards to help achieve the 50L Home vision locally.

Pilot Deployment and Data Collection

Starting in 2022, USGBC-LA will work with the 50L Home Coalition on pilot deployment and data collection here in Southern California, with the intent of influencing policy pathways for long-term change. The pilot locations are expected to include both single-family and multi-family homes, and the Coalition is actively looking for partners to bring these efforts to life. “To enable citizens to reduce their water consumption to 13 gallons per day without affecting their quality of life is an undertaking that requires creativity and a deep understanding of the local context,” says Braulio Morera, Director, 50L Home Coalition. “We are truly excited to partner with USGBC-LA and explore solutions that can help Angelenos address the challenges brought on by recurrent droughts. Californian cities are leaders in integrating urban resilience principles into their governance and infrastructure, and our hope is that this partnership will make a tangible contribution to the water security of those communities.”

The 50L Home Coalition partners with global industry leaders and public and civil society institutions to create sustainable solutions that will help solve the urban water crisis and create financially viable opportunities for our communities. Its unique initiatives address the systemic risks associated with water and climate change due to changing lifestyle patterns, increased industrialization, population growth, and rapid urbanization.

The 50L Home Coalition is convened by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG), and the World Economic Forum (WEF). It is led by a pioneering leadership group of private sector, public sector and civil society representatives, including founding members Electrolux, Engie, IKEA, Kohler, Procter & Gamble, and Suez as well as strategic partners and advisors Arcadis and the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP).

Workshops

To launch the two-year partnership, USGBC-LA will host an invite-only workshop on September 30. This workshop will explore water innovations and their potential to enable net zero carbon living. A discussion will follow on the local opportunities to reduce water and water-related energy use, and the workshop will close by bringing all the pieces together to envision a Los Angeles where residents can thrive on 50 liters (13 gallons) of water per person per day. Later that day, USGBC-LA will host its latest Thought Leadership event, “Reusing & Rethinking Water,” which is open to the public.

In response to the threat of “Day Zero” – when water becomes so scarce that the municipal water supply is shut down – in 2018, Cape Town, South Africa required its four million residents to reduce their domestic water usage to 50 liters per person per day. The campaign resulted in a 60% reduction in water consumption in a record amount of time, according to Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral Committee Member Water and Waste Services – City of Cape Town. The question is: can 50 liters of daily consumption become the norm without sacrificing quality of life? Is it possible to make 50 liters “feel like” 500 liters through innovation? Through our partnership with the 50L Home Coalition, we’re taking the first steps to make this future a reality.

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About U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles
Founded in 2002, USGBC-LA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to creating a prosperous and sustainable future within one generation. Our mission is to accelerate all aspects of sustainability in the built environment by delivering access to knowledge, resources, recognition and networking. Learn, Share and Lead Green. (www.usgbc-la.org)

About 50L Home Coalition
50L Home is a global action-oriented platform that addresses two of our most pressing global challenges: water security and climate change. The coalition strives to re-invent the future of water and change the narrative on domestic water consumption. To achieve this, it works alongside global industry leaders as well as public institutions and civil society organizations. Its primary objective is to create sustainable solutions that will solve the urban water crisis, enable net zero carbon living, and are affordable for our communities. (https://50lhome.org)

See the full press release here >>