| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 91.10 |
| Liaison | Alex Davis |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2023 |
Arizona State University
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.92 / 6.00 |
Alex
Davis Asst. Director University Sustainability Practices |
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 | 1,096,336,188 Gallons | 828,025,504 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 1,034,905,780 Gallons | 799,521,036 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | 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 | 12,969 | 6,100 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 116,606 | 52,795 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 12,136 | 9,281 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 36,874 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 72,143.25 | 48,082 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 14,345.15 Gallons | 16,628.28 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 | 26,740,566 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 | 38.70 Gallons per square foot | 56.97 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 | 565 Acres | 243 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 1,940,418.03 Gallons per acre | 3,407,512.36 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:
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
Water reuse is a core part of Arizona's water system, and ASU participates in shared regional water reuse systems instead of duplicating systems.
All wastewater produced at ASU's Tempe, Downtown Phoenix and West campuses is directed to the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant. This facility is jointly owned by the Sub-Regional Operating Group Cities of Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe and is operated by the City of Phoenix. Treated water from this plant is reused for three purposes: to cool Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, for agriculture in the Buckeye Irrigation District, and recharged through the Tres Rios wetlands and the Agua Fria Linear Recharge Project.
Wastewater from the Polytechnic campus flows to the Greenfield Water Reclamation Plant, which is jointly owned by the Cities of Mesa and Gilbert, along with the town of Queen Creek. Treated water from this plant is sent to the Gila River Indian Community in exchange for Central Arizona Project supplies.
Lake Havasu campus wastewater is treated at Mulberry Wastewater Treatment Plant or the Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, depending on local conditions. Treated wastewater is recycled for non-potable uses in Lake Havasu City, such as landscape irrigation.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
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. ASU invested $1.9M in 2020 to retrofit 60 buildings on the Tempe campus with low-flow fixtures to save an estimated 26 million gallons per year.
Ongoing projects to replace turf grass with desert-adapted landscaping also support water conservation efforts.
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:
Data for ASU's Polytechnic campus shows a notable decline in water use over the past decade. Exact information on why this decline occurred is not available. However, two factors may have contributed to the decline: a transition to predominantly low-water use landscaping and the closure of a large portion of the Desert Villages housing (single-family homes that originally served as base housing).
Data for ASU's Polytechnic campus shows a notable decline in water use over the past decade. Exact information on why this decline occurred is not available. However, two factors may have contributed to the decline: a transition to predominantly low-water use landscaping and the closure of a large portion of the Desert Villages housing (single-family homes that originally served as base housing).
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.