What is the baseline water use of a lavatory faucet?

The baseline water use of a lavatory faucet is established to guide the design of water-efficient plumbing fixtures. The correct value for standard lavatory faucets, as recognized by leading standards and guidelines such as LEED, is 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm) or 8.3 liters per minute (lpm). This baseline is important because it helps in assessing the performance of new fixtures against a standard, thus encouraging the adoption of more efficient technology in building design.

Faucets that use water at this baseline rate are considered to deliver a reasonable flow for typical usage while also maintaining efficiency standards. By knowing this baseline, architects and builders can select fixtures that significantly reduce water usage, which is a key goal in water efficiency practices and sustainable building design.

The other values listed reflect either older standards or specific fixture types that are not representative of the current baseline for lavatory faucets. Therefore, understanding the baseline contributes not only to compliance with water efficiency goals but also promotes the implementation of best practices in sustainable construction.