Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 55.74
Liaison Kristyn Achilich
Submission Date May 11, 2021

STARS v2.2

Saint Michael's College
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.44 / 4.00 Karen Talentino
Professor of Biology
Biology
"---" 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

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 23,711,675 Gallons 30,132,761 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 23,681,675 Gallons 29,976,429.12 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, 2013 June 30, 2014

A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,613 2,064
Number of employees resident on-site 10 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 10 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,793 2,261.61
Full-time equivalent of employees 442 452
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,092 2,551.21

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 11,320.11 Gallons 11,749.91 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
3.66

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 1,415,000 Gross square feet 1,206,940 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 16.74 Gallons per square foot 24.84 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
32.62

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 141 Acres 141 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 168,167.91 Gallons per acre 213,707.52 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
21.31

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

Through the work of the EcoReps, we have had a number of educational campaigns over the years to encourage water conservation.


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

Toilets and showers are installed with low-flow systems.


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:

Although our potable water use/weighted campus resident has decreased only slightly, our water use overall has decreased greatly, on a floor area basis, and on a vegetated grounds basis. This pattern is understandable given that, even though the number of students has decreased, there are certain water-requiring processes that must continue regardless of the total number of students on campus. Our conservation efforts in terms of landscaping options and efficient plumbing systems have definitely paid off.

Weighted campus users for this credit are the numbers for our performance year, 2018-19. They are not the same numbers as reported in PRE-5, which reflect "the most recent data available within the three years prior to the anticipated date of submission"; we used 2020-21 data for that section.


Although our potable water use/weighted campus resident has decreased only slightly, our water use overall has decreased greatly, on a floor area basis, and on a vegetated grounds basis. This pattern is understandable given that, even though the number of students has decreased, there are certain water-requiring processes that must continue regardless of the total number of students on campus. Our conservation efforts in terms of landscaping options and efficient plumbing systems have definitely paid off.

Weighted campus users for this credit are the numbers for our performance year, 2018-19. They are not the same numbers as reported in PRE-5, which reflect "the most recent data available within the three years prior to the anticipated date of submission"; we used 2020-21 data for that section.

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.