Project Lead
ScopeLimited
Fixture Partner
Sloan
Verification
Verified Water

Water Savings Calculator

Commercial/Industrial Water Efficiency Projects for Google Water Partnership

Water Partnership Proposal
Step 1Identify Challenges
Step 2Define Activities
Step 3Calculate VWBs
FrameworkWRI VWBA
1

Facility & Location

High water stress (35% BWS) - Oklahoma - Google Priority Basin. Credit value: $15.00/1,000 gal
Market Size: ~480,000 est. commercial fixtures | Your project: 0% of market
Sources: US Census (population), EIA CBECS (commercial sq ft), IPC (fixtures/sq ft)
2

Sloan Fixture Configuration

units
/day
3

Project Economics

USD
USD/yr
USD/yr
4

Google Cost Share

VWBA Cost Share: Google claims proportional volumetric water benefit based on funding percentage per their RFI terms.

Google Partnership Threshold Check

0.00
MGY Benefit
Target: 100+ MGY
$0
Cost per MGY
Target: <$12,000
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Funding Range
$350K - $6M
10 yr
Duration
Min: 10 years
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Eligible
All criteria

Water Savings Results

0
Gallons / Day
0
Gallons / Year
0.00
MGY (Annual)
0.00
10-Year MGY Total
Calculation Methodology & Definitions

Water Savings Formula

Daily Savings = (Baseline GPF - Efficient GPF) × Flushes/Day × Fixtures
Annual MGY = Daily Savings × 365 ÷ 1,000,000

Cost Calculations

Total Cost = (Fixtures × Install Cost) + (Fixtures × Annual O&M × Years) + (Reporting × Years)
Cost per MGY = Total Cost ÷ Annual MGY

Market Size Estimates

Est. Fixtures = Basin Population × 300 sq ft/capita × 1 fixture/2,500 sq ft
(Based on EIA CBECS commercial space data and IPC plumbing code averages)

Key Definitions

MGY
Million Gallons per Year - standard unit for water project benefits
GPF
Gallons Per Flush - fixture efficiency rating
BWS
Baseline Water Stress - % of available water withdrawn annually (WRI Aqueduct)
VWB
Volumetric Water Benefit - water volume from stewardship activities (VWBA)
WUI
Water Use Intensity - gallons per sq ft per year (EPA Energy Star)

Data Sources

Project Portfolio - Aggregated View

Add multiple facilities to aggregate MGY and meet Google's 100+ MGY threshold.

No facilities added yet. Use "Add to Portfolio" from the Single Facility tab.
Portfolio Strategy: Aggregate multiple smaller facilities across a watershed to reach 100+ MGY. Google prefers projects that can be constructed and operational by 2030.

Verified Water Certification Pathway

Continuous commercial/industrial water savings methodology based on VWBA (Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting) framework developed by WRI.

1
Identify Challenges
VWBA Step 1
2
Define Activities
VWBA Step 2
3
Calculate VWBs
VWBA Step 3
4
Implementation
Sloan Fixtures
5
Monitoring
Ongoing
6
Certification
Verified Water
WRI VWBA Framework
Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA) is a standardized 3-step method developed by WRI for quantifying water stewardship benefits. Sloan fixture upgrades qualify as "Operational Efficiency Measures" with VWBs measured using the "Reduced Withdrawal" indicator.
Verified Water Standard
Third-party verification of continuous commercial/industrial water savings based on VWBA methodology. Certification enables Google to claim proportional volumetric water benefits based on their cost share percentage.
VWBA Step Phase Description
Step 1 Identify Challenges Identify shared water challenges (quantity, quality, WASH, governance) and understand catchment context using WRI Aqueduct data
Step 2 Define Activities Select water stewardship activities (operational efficiency via Sloan fixtures) and determine VWB allocation between partners
Step 3 Calculate VWBs Document baseline, gather data, calculate Volumetric Water Benefits using "Reduced Withdrawal" indicator method
Implementation Install & Monitor Deploy Sloan high-efficiency fixtures and establish ongoing water metering for verification
Certification Verified Water Third-party verification and certification of continuous commercial/industrial water savings

Technical Deep Dive: WRI VWBA Methodology

VWBA Framework Evolution

Version Released Steps Key Focus
VWBA 1.0 August 2019 3 steps Original methodology by WRI, Quantis, LimnoTech, Valuing Nature
VWBA 2.0 September 2025 6 steps Expanded guidance with real-world implementation lessons

1 Identify Shared Water Challenges

Understand the local catchment context before taking action using WRI Aqueduct data.

WRI Aqueduct Indicators
Water Stress Ratio of withdrawals to available supply
Water Depletion Consumption vs available supply
Interannual Variability Year-to-year supply variation
Groundwater Decline Rate of aquifer depletion
Drought Risk Probability and severity
Shared Water Challenge Categories
Quantity Surface/groundwater scarcity
Quality Turbidity, nutrient pollution
WASH Safe drinking water access
Governance Regulatory gaps, allocation conflicts

2 Define Activities & VWB Allocation

Activity Classification: Sloan fixture upgrades qualify under "Operational Efficiency Measures" — activities that reduce water consumption within facility operations.
VWBA Eligibility Criteria (all must be met)
Additionality
Beyond business-as-usual
Measurability
Quantifiable using approved indicators
Catchment Relevance
Addresses shared water challenges
No Double Counting
Benefits not claimed by multiple parties
Temporal Appropriateness
Within defined reporting period
Legal Compliance
Meets or exceeds regulations
VWB Allocation Formula: Attributed VWB = Total VWB × (Entity Cost Contribution / Total Project Cost)

When multiple sponsors fund a project (e.g., Google + Sloan), VWBs are allocated proportionally to cost share percentage.

3 Calculate Volumetric Water Benefits

"Reduced Withdrawal" Indicator Method: VWB (m³/year) = Baseline Withdrawal - Post-Implementation Withdrawal
Calculation Parameters
Parameter Description Data Source
Baseline Withdrawal Average annual water use before intervention Utility bills, meter readings (12+ months)
Post-Implementation Measured water use after fixture installation Ongoing metering
Activity Duration Period over which benefits are claimed Typically fixture lifespan (10+ years)
VWB Indicators by Challenge Type
Shared Challenge VWB Indicator Calculation Method
Surface water scarcity Reduced Withdrawal Metered consumption difference
Groundwater depletion Reduced Withdrawal Metered consumption difference
Increased demand Reduced Consumption Net evaporative loss reduction
Water quality (turbidity) Volume Captured Curve number methodology
Water access Volume Provided Measured delivery to beneficiaries

Fixture-Specific VWB Calculations

High-Efficiency Toilet
Standard flush 1.6 gpf
High-efficiency 1.28 gpf
Uses/day 4
Annual VWB/fixture 467 gal
Sensor Faucet
Standard flow 2.2 gpm × 15s
Sensor-activated 0.5 gpm × 8s
Uses/day 50
Annual VWB/fixture 8,814 gal

Verified Water Certification Requirements

Water Credit Standard (WCS) Key Requirements
Requirement Description
Legal Control Originator must demonstrate legal control of freshwater assets
Additionality Validation Third-party verification that action is beyond business-as-usual
Baseline Measurement Independent verification of pre-project water use
Ongoing Verification Annual audits of actual water savings vs. claimed VWBs
No Negative Impacts Certification that local stakeholders are not harmed
Verification Workflow:
Project Registration → Baseline Documentation → Third-Party Validation → Implementation → Metered Monitoring → Annual Verification → Credit Issuance

Cost-Benefit Analysis Framework

Per VWBA Practical Guide (CEO Water Mandate):

Cost Component Calculation
CAPEX Equipment + installation costs
OPEX (10-year) Annual maintenance × 10 years
Total Cost CAPEX + 10-year OPEX
Cost per VWB Total Cost / Attributed VWB ($/m³)
References