| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.43 |
| Liaison | Greg Maginn |
| Submission Date | June 30, 2023 |
The Ohio State University
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Greg
Maginn Sustainability Analyst FOD |
Level of ”Physical Risk Quantity” for the institution’s main campus as indicated by the World Resources Institute Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal | 983,738,932 Gallons | 1,518,723,492 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 983,738,932 Gallons | 1,518,723,492 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
N/A
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 14,756 | 10,970 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 460 | 282 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 1,182 | 1,237 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 55,967.21 | 51,849.16 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 32,772.09 | 26,058.01 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 18,408 | 900 |
| Weighted campus users | 57,734.47 | 61,805.38 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 17,039.02 Gallons | 24,572.68 Gallons |
Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
Gross floor area of building space:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 29,031,136 Gross square feet | 23,134,879 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 33.89 Gallons per square foot | 65.65 Gallons per square foot |
Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
Area of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 1,665 Acres | 1,531 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 590,834.19 Gallons per acre | 991,981.38 Gallons per acre |
Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
A water resource engineer within facilities, operations, and development at the University leads a team of student interns to conduct water audits at buildings across the campus. These audits compare the projected water usage to the actual performance of a building and include talking to maintenance staff about best practices for conserving water.
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
Ohio State has several rain gardens on campus. The oldest active rain garden on campus is located behind Jennings Hall. The Jennings Hall rain gardens consist of 22 vegetated boxes. This form of green infrastructure helps filter and slow the runoff from storm events by filtering the rainwater from the roof of Jennings Hall, storing it in a 50,000 gallon cistern, and finally discharging the stormwater through a vegetated bioswale to the area storm sewers. A pumping system allows the stored water within the cistern to be used for supplementary irrigation during dry periods. This system not only filters the storm water, but it provides retention and opportunity for storm water reuse. Other rain gardens include the traffic circle at Cunz Hall and curb inlets around the Spirit of Women park.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
In 2019 the University performed a leak detection survey utilizing acoustic technology. The survey detected two major leaks and several smaller ones throughout campus. The subsequent repairs have saved over 50 million gallons a year.
The University recently adopted a new set of building design standards (BDS) that focus on a results based approach. The standards set a target WUI that design teams must meet and hold building operators accountable to that target once the project has been completed.
Within the BDS there are also several standards related to low flow fixtures and large appliances that use water.
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 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.