Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.59
Liaison Delicia Nahman
Submission Date March 3, 2020

STARS v2.2

Lafayette College
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.09 / 5.00 Scott Kennedy
Director of Facilities Operations
Finance & Administrative
"---" 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 Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Medium to High

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 50,874,771 Gallons 39,289,148 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 50,874,771 Gallons 39,289,148 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2018 June 30, 2019
Baseline Period July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

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

The baseline year was selected to be consistent with the baseline for reporting greenhouse gas emissions.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,409 2,139
Number of employees resident on-site 53 10
Number of other individuals resident on-site 4 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 2,672 2,483
Full-time equivalent of employees 874 750
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 3,279 2,962

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 15,515.33 Gallons 13,264.40 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 2,283,897 Gross square feet 1,735,959 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 22.28 Gallons per square foot 22.63 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
1.58

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 330 Acres 330 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 154,165.97 Gallons per acre 119,058.02 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
-29.49

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:

Lafayette has implemented several water-related behavior change initiatives in the past couple years. LEAP placed small signs with song lyrics about water and "turn off when not in use" language around public bathroom faucets.
During the Spring of 2019, the Student Government Sustainability Committee campaigned for shorter showers in the Residence Halls by placing signs with facts on water use and limiting showers to 2-3 songs (as many students have expressed that they listed to music in the shower). The Committee also made fun shower playlists with sustainability related songs to encourage mindful water use.


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

Lafayette employees a rainwater collection system on the roof of an operations building to feed into the irrigation of our 3 acre organic farm.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:

Low-flow shower heads, sinks, aerators, and toilets are the standard when renovating bathroom.
Preventive maintenance is conducted on steam traps and steam lines are monitored for leaks and replaced when discovered.
Preference is given to native drought resistant plant species to reduce the necessity of irrigation.


Website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Scott Kennedy, Kendall Roberson and Nick DeSalvo contributed to reporting this credit


Scott Kennedy, Kendall Roberson and Nick DeSalvo contributed to reporting this credit

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.