| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.57 |
| Liaison | Katie Koscielak |
| Submission Date | April 11, 2023 |
Cal Poly Humboldt
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.68 / 4.00 |
Andrea
Alstone Energy Planner & Analyst Facilities Management |
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 | 36,844,364.52 Gallons | 57,575,958 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 36,844,364.52 Gallons | 57,575,958 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
We are using 2012-13 as our baseline because it was used in our last STARS report. It was chosen then because California started mandated drought reductions based on usage for the year 2013; the academic year 2012-13 is the closest similar measure to this time frame.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,701 | 2,013 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 4 | 5 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 5,334 | 7,618 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,156.60 | 1,168 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,005 | 30.33 |
| Weighted campus users | 4,540.45 | 7,071.25 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 8,114.69 Gallons | 8,142.26 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 | 2,013,068 Gross square feet | 1,995,999 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 18.30 Gallons per square foot | 28.85 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 | 215.56 Acres | 215.56 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 170,923.94 Gallons per acre | 267,099.45 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:
Starting after the baseline year, Humboldt initiated a couple of key activities of this type that still continue: 1) Green Campus students installed stickers on all soap dispensers on campus indicating a Soap On/Water Off awareness to have water off while soaping up to conserve water and they continue to remind users during their outreach events; 2) All power-washing by maintenance/facilities staff became an evaluation decision to balance safety/aesthetic/maintenance concerns with water conservation considerations; 3) Irrigation of landscaped areas have been examined to more closely monitor environmental conditions and plant needs to better adjust watering schedules to avoid overwatering; 4) A number of small 'pocket lawns' were replaced with pollinator friendly plantings with drip irrigation; 5) Water meters have been install in most buildings to track water consumption at the building level.
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
Humboldt does not have access to reclaimed water and limited opportunity to capture rainwater. There are two rainwater catchment systems active on campus, one at the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology, and the other integrated into the Behavioral and Social Sciences building. CCAT’s system consists of a 1500-gallon tank capturing roof gutter water from the CCAT house, which is used to water their edible landscape. The BSS building system also captures roof water and stores it in a 20,000-gallon system for use in the toilets and urinals in the building.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
All feasible sink faucet aerators were replaced with 0.5 GPM units, toilet valves set to 1.5 GPF, urinals to a maximum of 1.0 GPF, and shower heads meeting the 2.0 GPM rate. In addition, as remodels of campus have occurred or broken fixtures replaced, new fixtures with the latest water use standards are installed, per the CALGreen building standards of 2018. Campus has also actively fixed or bypassed several irrigation and domestic water underground leaks and systematically reduced irrigation use.
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:
Note that we have changed the total area managed from previous reports to exclude landholdings that are not actively managed. This change was made after collecting data for OP-9 which we had not pursed in previous reports.
Water consumption data compiled in our SkySpark EIS from bills generated by City of Arcata, municipal water provider to main campus, City of Trinidad, provider for remote campus buildings located there and City of Eureka, for remote buildings there.
Note that we have changed the total area managed from previous reports to exclude landholdings that are not actively managed. This change was made after collecting data for OP-9 which we had not pursed in previous reports.
Water consumption data compiled in our SkySpark EIS from bills generated by City of Arcata, municipal water provider to main campus, City of Trinidad, provider for remote campus buildings located there and City of Eureka, for remote buildings there.
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.