Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 80.84
Liaison Alex Davis
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Arizona State University
OP-22: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.06 / 5.00 Corey Hawkey
Assistant Director
University Sustainability Practices
"---" 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:
Medium to High

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use --- 908,121,339 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 789,432,120 Gallons 908,121,339 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016
Baseline Year July 1, 2006 June 30, 2007

A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
The baseline coincides with when Arizona State University completed its first formal Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 13,920 6,100
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 87,955 52,975
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 9,967 9,281
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 13,761 0
Weighted campus users 66,600.75 48,217

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 11,853.20 Gallons 18,834.05 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
37.07

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 23,316,686 Gross square feet 14,033,632 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 33.86 Gallons per square foot 64.71 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
47.68

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 243 Acres 243 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 3,737,124.85 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water use per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
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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:
University Sustainability Practices has initiated a "Strive for Five" education campaign. This campaign has been rolled out across all campuses to educate the community to take shorter showers. Additionally, ASU is educating the community about water conservation through a social media campaign around #MakeItRainASU. This was done in partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Fund.

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
There is a water capture project program at the Arizona State University Tempe campus Central Plant. The project captures previously wasted reverse osmosis reject water for reuse on mall power-washing and central plant cooling tower chillers. Grounds used about 75,000 gallons for power washing. The Barrett Honors College Complex includes a greywater treatment and reuse system for buildings 7A and 7B. Greywater from building sinks, water fountains, and showers is treated to a reuse standard that is suitable as a water closet supply and/or an irrigation supply. The Greywater design flow is 10,000 gallons per day. The Biodesign Institute includes a Graywater Capture Project - The Biodesign Institute has realized a 50% reduction in landscape water use from the installation of a high efficiency drip irrigation system that is supplied by greywater captured on-site. ASU captures 1000 gallons of rainwater for landscaping use.

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):
Arizona State University has reduced water consumption in many buildings around campus through the installation of low-flow water fixtures such as sinks, showers, toilets, and in some buildings, waterless urinals.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.