Ace the LEED Green Associate Exam 2026 – Go Green, Go Great!

The first and last strategy in managing water use is to reduce and then meter. The rationale behind starting with reduction is that minimizing water consumption is crucial because it directly impacts resource conservation and can lead to significant water savings. Reducing water use might involve implementing efficient fixtures, optimizing irrigation systems, or changing operational practices to use less water.

Meticulously monitoring water usage through metering provides an essential follow-up to reduction efforts. Metering allows facility managers to track water consumption, identify trends, and detect leaks or inefficiencies in the system. This data-driven approach can inform ongoing strategies for maintaining low water use, ensuring that the reductions achieved are sustainable over time.

The other options have strategies that either do not align with best practices in water management or suggest increasing usage, which contradicts the fundamental goals of conservation and efficiency. Therefore, focusing on reduction followed by metering effectively encapsulates a logical and effective approach to managing water resources.