Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.13
Liaison Elizabeth Drake
Submission Date March 6, 2020

STARS v2.2

Swarthmore College
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.56 / 4.00 Ralph Thayer
Director of Maintenance
Facilities Management
"---" 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

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 35,007,000 Gallons 35,554,200 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 32,403,000 Gallons 29,123,145 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period Jan. 1, 2019 Dec. 31, 2019
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2005 Dec. 31, 2005

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

2005 was the year of maximum energy use on campus and the baseline year for the previous STARS filing in 2017.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,507 1,479
Number of employees resident on-site 5 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,664 1,474
Full-time equivalent of employees 926 683
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,320.50 1,987.50

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 13,963.80 Gallons 14,653.15 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
4.70

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 1,715,494 Gross square feet 1,444,010 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 18.89 Gallons per square foot 20.17 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
6.35

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 384 Acres 384 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 91,164.06 Gallons per acre 92,589.06 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
1.54

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

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

A cistern was installed to store the rain water from our Science Center roof areas. That water is used for the gardens around the Science Center. A cistern was also installed at the Wister Center.


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

All new buildings, especially Singer Hall, have low-flow fixtures in bathrooms and laboratories. A vacuum pump system has eliminated water siphon use on campus. All dorm shower heads were replaced with water-efficient alternatives in 2017 after the previous STARS report was filed.


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:

Info from Ralph and from IR Factbooks for 2019 and 2005. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/15a8abec779872bf?projector=1

Potable water use is assumed to be taxable sewer use (total billed water for 2019 minus irrigation and cooling tower water), because we effectively are using potable water for bathing, cooking, and toilet flushing and this all goes into the sewer (and for which we pay a sewer fee).


Info from Ralph and from IR Factbooks for 2019 and 2005. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/15a8abec779872bf?projector=1

Potable water use is assumed to be taxable sewer use (total billed water for 2019 minus irrigation and cooling tower water), because we effectively are using potable water for bathing, cooking, and toilet flushing and this all goes into the sewer (and for which we pay a sewer fee).

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.