| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.45 |
| Liaison | Ryan Ihrke |
| Submission Date | Oct. 17, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Green Mountain College
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.46 / 2.00 |
Aaron
Witham Director of Sustainability Sustainability Office |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
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 | 6,787,800 Gallons | 7,455,540 Gallons |
None
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 6,787,800 Gallons | 7,455,540 Gallons |
None
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 540 | 577 |
| Number of residential employees | 5 | 5 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 799 | 749 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 198.60 | 188.75 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 173 | 30 |
None
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 493,298 Square feet | 478,745 Square feet |
None
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 96.60 Acres | 96.60 Acres |
None
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2006 | June 30, 2007 |
None
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
The water use baseline of FY 2007 was chosen to be consistent with our other baselines.
None
Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
0
Gallons
None
Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
0
Gallons
None
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
The OVaL (Occupy Vacant Lots) shed designed and built by assistant professor Lucas Brown's design/build class is located on the west side of campus and serves as a greenhouse and storage shed for the Champlain Valley Native Plant Restoration Nursery. The nursery provides hands-on laboratory experience for GMC students and provides a reliable source of native plants for local landowners and ecological restoration projects. Non-potable water is captured in a rain barrel at the site and reused for watering.
None
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
All of the major buildings and houses on campus have separate water meters that track consumption. The sustainability office tallies water bills for all campus buildings each year and looks for trends in order to identify areas of high water use.
None
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
Facilities installed water saving flush kits on five toilets in recent years.
Renovations to SAGE Hall in 2009 prioritized responsible water usage. Low-flow showerheads, sink aerators and dual-flush toilets were installed.
In Spring 2009, students Ben Jankowski and Ronnie Black used a Student Campus Greening Fund grant to purchase and replace 2.5 gallon per minute showerheads in residence hall showers with high efficiency 1.5 gallon per minute showerheads. These new showerheads use 40% less water per minute than the old system.
None
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
In an effort to reduce waste and minimize support for the commodification of water, GMC banned the sale of bottled water on campus in 2014. The move came after a student-led campaign that garnered signatures from over 25% of the student body.
None
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
The vast majority of cultivated vegetation on campus continues to be native species that are well-adapted to the climate and need no irrigation. The to maintain native species as the dominate landscaping feature is outlined in the natural areas and native species policies.
The exception to the native plant rule is vegetable production on the campus farm, which requires some added water.
None
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
---
None
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
In 2014, the Sustainable Living Floor carried out a water conservation challenge among residents.
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Performance year for gallons of water used is FY 2013. Baseline year is FY 2007. Numbers do not include the Killington campus because the data were difficult to obtain. GMC leases the lodge and the owner pays the water bill.
For the vegetated lands definition, GMC uses total acreage minus buildings and impervious surfaces. Water use from the farms and athletic fields was not factored out as it didn't seem appropriate to do so.
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.