Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 73.93
Liaison Jim Dees
Submission Date April 19, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Appalachian State University
OP-22: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.96 / 4.00 Michelle Novacek
Process Analyst
Physical Plant
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Level of ”Physical Risk QUANTITY” for the institution’s main campus as indicated by the World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Low to Medium

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use --- 104,708,166 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 96,563,206 Gallons 104,708,166 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2010 June 30, 2011

A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:

We chose a period 3 years prior to the performance year of 2013/14 in order to have data that is more current and therefore tracked consistently.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 5,873 5,160
Number of employees resident on-site 28 11
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 3 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 18,099 16,388
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 3,002 2,672.24
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 897 1,045
Weighted campus users 16,631.25 14,804.18

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 5,806.13 Gallons 7,072.88 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
17.91

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 5,288,095 Gross square feet 4,679,232 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 18.26 Gallons per square foot 22.38 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
18.40

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in total water use per acre/hectare of vegetated grounds):
Yes

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 374.13 Acres 374.13 Acres

Total water use (potable + non-potable) per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use per unit of vegetated grounds 0 Gallons per acre 279,871.08 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water use per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
---

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:
---

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:

The Sustainable Development Farm uses captured water as thermal storage in the greenhouse.

Beasley Media Center has a water reclamation system on the roof and the water is used for flushing toilets.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives (e.g. building retrofits):

Shower heads, sink aerators, and toilets are being replaced or refitted with tamper resistent, low consumption heads and devices. This project has been completed in all residents' halls and has been funded by several sources:
1) State Energy Office Grant in 2009
2) PEPCO contracts - $5.5m
3) PEPCO contract - $16.5m

By the end of 2015, approximately 90% of all fixtures on campus will be low flow.

Specifics of replacements:
*Replaced 3 gpm with 1.5 gpm shower heads
*Replaced 1.5 and 1 gpm sink aerators with .5gpm
*Replaced 3 gallons per flush gpf toilets with .6 gpf toilets
*Some urinals have been reduced to 1 pint of water per flush


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

99.99% of the water used on campus is potable.


99.99% of the water used on campus is potable.

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.