A Three-Part Conversation with Rock Ridolfi, Former Chair, USGBC Water Efficiency Technical Advisory Group (WE TAG)
Interview with Rock
Series Introduction: “Water Reimagined”
Water has long been the quiet partner in sustainable design, but in LEED v5, it emerges as a defining force shaping the future of high-performance buildings. As climate risk, infrastructure constraints, and operational accountability converge, water is no longer just an efficiency metric; it is a measure of resilience, value, and performance.
Over the past five years, EEI employee-owner Rock Ridolfi has contributed to this evolution as a member of the USGBC Water Efficiency Technical Advisory Group (WE TAG), serving as chair for the last three years. His work has focused on rethinking the built environment through the lens of water infrastructure, starting with measurement, advancing through effective management, and ultimately elevating the role of verified water performance in building design and operations.
This three-part series explores that transformation through Rock’s insights: how LEED v5 connects water to carbon, resilience, and data-driven outcomes; what these changes mean for owners, designers, and commissioning teams; and how EEI’s integrated approach to water design and operational performance is helping projects deliver measurable results from day one.
Part 1, The 30,000-Foot View: Shaping the Future of Water Stewardship in LEED v5
When Rock Ridolfi accepted the role of Chair for USGBC’s Water Efficiency Technical Advisory Group, discussions on the future versions of LEED, including v5, were just beginning. The water credit category under v4/v4.1 addressed water holistically, focused on indoor and outdoor uses, process uses, and metering. LEED v5 builds on the foundation of straightforward, prescriptive options, and guides teams through new water stewardship strategies, connecting whole project water use strategies with decarbonization, resilience, and long-term building performance goals. We sat down with Rock to discuss that evolution, and where he believes the market is heading.
At 30,000 feet, how would you describe the journey of water efficiency within LEED?
Rock: “In the past five years, we’re continuing to move from prescriptive options toward a broader water stewardship mentality. Water efficiency isn’t only about using less. It’s about metering, monitoring, and managing water as an essential resource, with smarter reuse and non-potable alternatives. That mindset shift changes design, operations, and even policy.”
What key factors pushed LEED v5 to elevate water performance?
Rock: “Climate risk, water stress, and the energy-water nexus. Utilities and owners understanding that every gallon of water carries an energy and carbon cost. LEED v5 takes the next step by explicitly acknowledging the connection and providing the foundation for future water-carbon models to aide in design and operations.”
Looking ahead, what’s the future of water in high-performance buildings? Rock: “Metered systems, reuse infrastructure, and analytics will be standard. Water will have dashboards just like energy and each resource will be linked with overall decarbonization goals.”
EEI Takeaway
EEI’s commissioning engineers see water-use performance as the next frontier of building optimization. By aligning metering design, submeter calibration, and analytics validation, owners can document water outcomes with the same rigor used for energy performance.