Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.67
Liaison Julie Newman
Submission Date Sept. 30, 2021

STARS v2.2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.67 / 4.00 MIT Office of Sustainability
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" 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:
Low to Medium

Part 1. Reduction in potable water use per person 

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 384,144,900 Gallons 376,931,434 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 236,766,687 Gallons 376,931,434 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2019 June 30, 2020
Baseline Period July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
A water use baseline of fiscal year 2014 is used to ensure consistency with other credits, with MIT's greenhouse gas commitment, and with MIT's previous STARS reporting.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 5,851 6,007
Number of employees resident on-site 53 39
Number of other individuals resident on-site 600 411
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 11,261 11,301
Full-time equivalent of employees 10,239 11,380
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 18,201 18,933.25

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 13,008.44 Gallons 19,908.44 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
34.66

Part 2. Reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 12,162,657 Gross square feet 12,149,907 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 19.47 Gallons per square foot 31.02 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
37.25

Part 3. Reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 97 Acres 97 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 3,960,256.70 Gallons per acre 3,885,891.07 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
-1.91

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
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A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
An innovative storm water retention and management system at the Stata Center employs a bioswale to capture and filter stormwater runoff. This water is harvested, filtered, and used as flushing water in the 430,000 GSF building. MIT deploys "smart metered" irrigation systems around campus to conserve water. In the central cooling plants, water is metered and monitored to identify potential water loss in the system.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
MIT completed many water fixture retrofits throughout campus. Ultra low-flow fixtures are the installation standard for all replacements. New construction employs LEED gold design standards, which encourage water saving strategies.

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