| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.05 |
| Liaison | Lisa Kilgore |
| Submission Date | March 22, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Cornell University
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.63 / 4.00 |
Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water use | 419,261,480 Gallons | 475,739,480 Gallons |
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 419,261,480 Gallons | 475,739,480 Gallons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 7,344 | 6,662 |
| Number of residential employees | 505 | 35 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 469 | 459 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 20,951 | 19,053 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 10,769 | 12,113 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 47 | 0 |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 15,882,910 Square feet | 14,346,948 Square feet |
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 2,108.70 Acres | 1,802 Acres |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
Start of STARS data used 2005 baseline.
Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
Grounds has an underground 1,000 gal tank that is located in the Nursery area that captures water from our irrigation system. We have a pumping station that fills our water trucks and hydro seeder for utilization back on campus. The new Physical Sciences building has a grey water system that is used for irrigating their raised patio plantings situated between Physical Sciences and Rockefeller Hall.
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
All buildings metered and monthly bills sent.
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
Efficient shower heads installed; low flush toilets and urinals installed throughout campus;
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
Green Roofs were designed utilizing xeriscape landscaping techniques. Current data has .9 acre of xeriscape on the endowed side, .5 acre on the statutory side and ~1.2 from campus life. Various varieties of Sedum populate the majority. Only key athletic fields and a couple high profile lawn areas are permitted to use irrigation.
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
The Grounds Dept. manages 2.5 acres of irrigated turf and 1.25 acres of irrigated planting beds/rooftop gardens. Each site has a Rain Sensor that automatically measures precipitation and prevents the irrigation system from watering in rainy conditions. The system automatically shuts off preventing over watering during a rain event.
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
Water utility monitors water usage and losses, auditing on an on-going basis to ensure leakage is not occurring and water is not being wasted. Cornell has a water conservation plan on file with the Department of Health.
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Cornell Water System Production-(water served to the City of Ithaca + water served to the Town of Ithaca)+ (water purchased from Bolton Point).
In regards to the weighted campus user data: the number of partners/family members of staff and professional students that also live on campus and consume resources were placed in the "in-patient hospital beds" category because there is no place in STARS 2.0 to document campus residents that are not students, employees, or in-patient hospital beds. This allows for the most honest representation of Cornell's weighted campus users.
Cornell Water System Production-(water served to the City of Ithaca + water served to the Town of Ithaca)+ (water purchased from Bolton Point).
In regards to the weighted campus user data: the number of partners/family members of staff and professional students that also live on campus and consume resources were placed in the "in-patient hospital beds" category because there is no place in STARS 2.0 to document campus residents that are not students, employees, or in-patient hospital beds. This allows for the most honest representation of Cornell's weighted campus users.
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.