Best practices for the rational use of water in construction sites in Brazil

Abstract

Even though water is a scarce resource, not much thought has been given to its proper use during the execution phase of the building, unless this construction site has already acquired sustainability criteria or certification program. The purpose of this study is to assess the sustainability practice of the rational use of water and its application in the execution phase of construction sites in Brazil. The research proposes a list of items that facilitates the implementation of sustainability in construction sites by creating a checklist of sustainable practices based on environmental certification programs. This article uses the case study by a qualitative method, which can evaluate the major difficulties and the best occurrences of sustainable practices related to water use in construction sites. This work consists of six projects of various typologies and geographical locations in Brazil. The adoption of this list may serve as a tool for the implementation of sustainability in construction sites and as a benchmark among the companies. Finally, best practices for the rational use of water are proposed at the construction sites.