SPECS Building For Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) Practice Test

BERDE rewards strategies that lower freshwater demand and keep water on-site for non-potable uses. Water-efficient fixtures reduce indoor water use right at the source, so less potable water is wasted. Rainwater harvesting captures and stores rainfall to offset demand for non-potable needs such as toilet flushing and landscape irrigation, cutting reliance on municipal water. On-site wastewater treatment and graywater reuse treat wastewater so it can be reused for non-potable purposes, further reducing fresh water intake and wastewater discharge. Together, these approaches align with BERDE’s goal of efficient water management and closed-loop use. In contrast, dependence on bottled water creates unnecessary waste, and excessive irrigation wastes water, so they don’t align with BERDE credits.