Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 76.32
Liaison Karen Oberer
Submission Date Dec. 11, 2020

STARS v2.2

McGill University
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.87 / 4.00 Josh Huizinga
Energy Manager
Facilities Management and Ancillary Services
"---" 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

Part 1. Reduction in potable water use per person 

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 1,521,082 Cubic meters 1,900,000 Cubic meters

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 1,521,082 Cubic meters 1,900,000 Cubic meters

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period Jan. 1, 2018 Dec. 31, 2018
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2014 Dec. 31, 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:
The water use baseline was adopted in 2014 when the Ministry of Education required all postsecondary institutions to establish a water use baseline.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,321 3,122
Number of employees resident on-site 52 15
Number of other individuals resident on-site 17 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 32,754 31,755
Full-time equivalent of employees 7,293 6,979
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 41 32
Weighted campus users 30,864.75 29,810.75

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 49.28 Cubic meters 63.74 Cubic meters

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
22.68

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 916,138.29 Gross square meters 891,994 Gross square meters

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 1.66 Cubic meters per square meter 2.13 Cubic meters per square meter

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
22.05

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

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 12.45 Hectares 12.45 Hectares

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 122,175.50 Cubic meters per hectare 152,610.74 Cubic meters per hectare

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
19.94

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
Initially, water meters were installed according to municipal regulatory requirements regarding Industrial, Commercial and Institutional establishments (ICI). Approximately 100 water meters have been installed since March 2016.

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
The university has two projects for implementing rain water harvesting in greenhouses.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
The university installed low-flow toilets and showerheads, as well as automatic faucets in many of the bathrooms on the downtown campus. Low-flow showerheads were also installed in the residences, which has decreased water usage by an estimated 58,000L per day. Prior to new construction or major renovation projects, project teams must perform a preliminary water budget analysis before the completion of schematic design that explores how to reduce potable water loads. They must also assess and estimate the project’s potential non-potable water supply sources and water demand volumes, including the following: indoor water demand; outdoor water demand; process, services, and equipment water demand, as applicable; and alternative supply sources for non-potable water.

The univeristy has worked towards converting or removing single-pass water cooled equipment across the campus. From these projects, water consumption has been reduced by an estimated 302,700 cubic meters per year.

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:
The "area of vegetated grounds" includes:
- the Campus Planning and Development Office's calculation for the area of green space (6.37 ha)
- Macdonald Campus green space, which excludes farmland (6.08 ha).
- Total: 12.45 ha

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.