Overall Rating	Gold - expired
Overall Score	83.20
Liaison	Maddie LoDico
Submission Date	Nov. 5, 2018
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

Colby College
OP-22: Water Use

Status

Score

Responsible Party

2.66 / 4.00

Maddie LoDico
Director of Sustainability
Sustainability Office

"---" 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

Part 1

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Total water use	35,936,912 Gallons	40,213,028.74 Gallons

Potable water use:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Potable water use	35,936,912 Gallons	40,213,028.74 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, 2004	June 30, 2005

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

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

We are using 2005 as a common baseline throughout this submission, as this was the year that the College began formally tracking data in all STARS reporting fields.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site	1,860	1,664
Number of employees resident on-site	16	13
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds	17	0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment	1,917	1,764
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty)	817	640
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education	0	0
Weighted campus users	2,536.50	2,222.25

Potable water use per weighted campus user:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user	14,167.91 Gallons	18,095.64 Gallons

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

21.71

Part 2

Gross floor area of building space:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Gross floor area	1,549,830 Gross square feet	1,371,951 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area	23.19 Gallons per square foot	29.31 Gallons per square foot

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

20.89

Part 3

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	671 Acres	621.86 Acres

Total water use (potable + non-potable) per unit of vegetated grounds:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Total water use per unit of vegetated grounds	53,557.25 Gallons per acre	64,665.73 Gallons per acre

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

17.18

Optional Fields

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:

The EcoReps host an annual competition called the 5 Minute Shower Challenge to encourage students to take shorter showers and save water. Timers are provided in all public dormitory showers throughout campus, and students living in suites can easily request a timer. There are sign up sheets in every bathroom for students who complete the challenge to sign their name in order to receive a sticker. The dorm with the highest percentage participation is deemed the campus winner.

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

None

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):

All sinks have 0.5 gpm aerators installed, all showers have 1.5 gpm aerators, many toilets have dual-flush capabilities, and those that do not are 1.4 gpm or less flushes. All washers and dryers on campus are Energy Star certified. The irrigation system, when present, is equipped with rain sensors. Each new construction or commercial interiors project on campus pursues LEED certification. As part of the certification process, projects typically realize a 35% water reduction in comparison to UPC 2006 code compliant water fixtures and fittings. These same guidelines are applied to any projects that are smaller in scale and don't pursue LEED certification. As much as possible, water efficient fixtures and fittings are incorporated into any building modification project. Colby has eliminated all water-cooled condensing units.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:

https://www.colby.edu/green/green-development/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

All of Colby's water waste gets treated by Kennebec Sewage.