| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.06 |
| Liaison | Dave Barbier |
| Submission Date | March 22, 2024 |
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.51 / 6.00 |
Sergio
Romero Data Analyst Office of Sustainability |
Level of ”Physical Risk Quantity” for the institution’s main campus as indicated by the World Resources Institute Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal | 6,403,754 Gallons | 10,742,306 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 6,403,754 Gallons | 10,742,306 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2022 | June 30, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2006 | June 30, 2007 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
2007 is when we did our first greenhouse gas inventory and decided to use it as our baseline for several other metrics including water use.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,277 | 3,211 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 13 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 7,059 | 8,165 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,075 | 1,001 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,343 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 5,915.75 | 7,677.25 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 1,082.49 Gallons | 1,399.24 Gallons |
Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
Gross floor area of building space:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 2,826,048 Gross square feet | 2,638,928 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 2.27 Gallons per square foot | 4.07 Gallons per square foot |
Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
Area of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 181.40 Acres | 72 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 35,301.84 Gallons per acre | 149,198.69 Gallons per acre |
Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
The biggest change to our water use across campus has been by keeping up-to-date with the latest advancements in seed technology. The UWSP Grounds Work Unit uses grass seed that is encapsulated with both starter fertilizer to accelerate root development and a water retention polymer designed to keep grass seeds hydrated between waterings. The water retention polymer provides additional protection should you miss a watering because the special coating retains water when the soil is moist and automatically releases it when the soil is dry. This makes the seed ideal for growing grass, plus environmentally friendly because it contains just the right amount of fertilizer so there is no worry about excess fertilizer disrupting the surrounding environment. With the addition of the water retention polymer, UWSP is able to conserve water. The Grounds Work Unit also utilizes Regenerating Perennial Ryegrass, or RPR, a subspecies of traditional perennial ryegrass that was developed specifically to withstand heavy traffic and rapidly recover. This seed technology allows high traffic areas such as a football practice field to recover faster with less watering, again conserving natural resources. Furthermore, there have been small campaigns across social media and campus messaging to conserve water. These messages encourage both students and staff to reduce their water use where possible in efforts to conserver. These can be found across the year but most often during Earth Week or other sustainability related content.
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
Our grounds team has become more conservative in their water use and water placement. Additionally some stormwater management techniques have been developed to use grey water to water parts of our managed landscape.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
several changes across campus took place across the last decade to decrease our water usage including but not limited to: Tuned toilets/urinals flushometers to achieve standard performance Incorporate dual flush technology Install low flow aerators on sinks Install reduced flow shower heads at several resdential halls Implemented planned maintenance to better maintain water Replaced dining hall dishwashers with high efficiency models Updated some laundry appliances for more efficient models
Website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.