Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.18
Liaison James Biesecker
Submission Date March 7, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Gettysburg College
OP-26: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.00 / 2.00 Eric Richardson
Grounds Manager
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Low

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use 39,828,756 Gallons 34,301,036 Gallons

Potable water use::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 39,828,756 Gallons 34,301,036 Gallons

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of residential students 2,125 1,950
Number of residential employees 19 15
Number of in-patient hospital beds 0 0
Full-time equivalent enrollment 2,438 2,397
Full-time equivalent of employees 861 651
Full-time equivalent of distance education students 0 0

Gross floor area of building space::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 1,690,229 Square feet 1,511,631 Square feet

Area of vegetated grounds::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 173.80 Acres 175.40 Acres

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year June 1, 2013 May 31, 2014
Baseline Year June 1, 2004 May 31, 2005

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

This was the year Gettysburg College signed and adopted the American College and University President's Commitment to Climate Change, which outlined emission goals for the future.


Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
0 Gallons

Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
---

A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:

The college uses water from the on-campus quarry to water the multiple athletic fields. Additionally, the athletic center collects rainwater from its roof which flows into a cistern under one of the parking lots. This water is utilized for irrigation in drought situations.


A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:

All campus buildings have individual water meters.


A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:

Low flow fixtures are in the process of being installed.


A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:

Energy efficient appliances are put in place as appliances need to be updated.


A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):

The Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness utilizes drought-resistant plants in its landscaping. Virtually no water upkeep is necessary for these plants. Also, as discussed earlier in the assessment, rainwater flows from the top of this building into an underground cistern, and overflows into a basin which recharges a local aquifer. This water is used for irrigation, reducing the need for potable water used for irrigation on campus.


A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:

Grounds does monitor the weather for the need to irrigate plant materials. Irrigation mostly takes place with drip sensors. However our need to irrigate has been reduced greatly over the last few years by planting materials with less water dependency and from installations like turf fields.


A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:

Our campus pond is utilized for irrigation of athletic fields.


The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.