| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.19 |
| Liaison | Veronica Johnson |
| Submission Date | May 28, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Southwestern University
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.41 / 4.00 |
Joe
LePage Director of Physical Plant Physical Plant |
Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water use | 67,652,000 Gallons | 74,582,000 Gallons |
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 54,873,000 Gallons | 31,727,000 Gallons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 1,178 | 1,072 |
| Number of residential employees | 2 | 2 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 1,523 | 1,309 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 434 | 438 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 11 | 29 |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 1,048,729 Square feet | 1,027,475 Square feet |
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 148 Acres | 148 Acres |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2013 | June 30, 2014 |
| Baseline Year | June 1, 2009 | May 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
Student Capstone projects led to the water use baseline in 2010
Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
• A 15,000 gallon rain water collection system is used to irrigate the community garden
• Effluent water is purchased from the City and used to irrigate our playing fields
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
• Every building’s water consumption is individually metered
• All potable and non-potable irrigation is metered
• Campus irrigation is controlled by a software based irrigation management system which employs a weather station that measures rainfall, wind speed and sunlight to adjust water applied based on evaporation transfer rates
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
Dual flush commodes and waterless urinals have been installed in the last three buildings constructed on campus
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
• All new construction and major renovations follow LEED guidelines including water-efficient alternatives, such as lo flow faucets, shower heads, waterless urinals, drip irrigation and dual flush commodes
• A Student led initiative led to replacing all shower heads in our apartments and resident halls with low flow heads
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
We specify native and drought tolerant plants for all construction projects
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
Campus irrigation is controlled by software that utilizes a weather station for control data
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
• Wind switches installed on outdoor fountains to shut fountains off on windy days
• Drip irrigation utilized in beds in lieu of spray nozzles to reduce water consumption
• Water saver shower heads have been installed on all showers on campus
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.