| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 79.54 |
| Liaison | Kelli O'Day |
| Submission Date | June 20, 2023 |
University of California, Davis
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.94 / 4.00 |
Kelli
O'Day Assessment Program Manager Office of Sustainability |
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 | 923,405,075 Gallons | 1,131,403,666 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 655,810,715 Gallons | 805,537,000 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2005 | June 30, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
The UC Sustainable Practices Policy requires campuses to use a baseline of the averaged three-year period from 2005-06 through 2007-08 (fiscal year) for water use reporting. We continue that practice in this STARS credit.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 14,471 | 5,114 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 344 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 33,387 | 26,255 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 9,532 | 9,182 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 494 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 35,780.50 | 27,856.25 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 18,328.72 Gallons | 28,917.64 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 | 13,933,790 Gross square feet | 9,732,420 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 47.07 Gallons per square foot | 82.77 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 | 1,120.80 Acres | 1,288 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 823,880.33 Gallons per acre | 878,419.00 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:
Student Housing and Dining Services runs an Energy and Water Conservation competition in the residence halls (see the UC Davis response to credit EN-5: Outreach Campaigns for more information).
UC Davis has posted Report Leaks stickers in every restroom near the faucets (see the UC Davis response to credit EN-4 for more information).
In fiscal year 2021-22, UC Davis achieved a 19% reduction in absolute quantities of potable water use against a baseline of fiscal years 2005/06-2007/08. And, the campus achieved a 37% reduction in per capita potable water use against the same baseline. The campus has grown in population while reducing water consumption.
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
In fiscal year 2021/22, over 29 million gallons of recycled water (recovered from wastewater effluent) were used in cooling towers on campus, offsetting over 39 percent of the total amount of water that would have previously been met by potable supplies. This recycled water project began in 2015, during the peak of the most recent drought, when Utilities staff extended the recycled water line from the Arboretum Waterway to the cooling towers at the Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Plant. Since this recycled water project began in 2015, nearly 210 million gallons of recycled water have been used at the cooling towers. Recycled water use at TES is currently on pause as the campus Wastewater Treatment Plant recently replaced its UV disinfection system. Recycled water use at TES will resume upon approval by the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Campus Utilities regularly monitors metered water usage across campus to identify potential leaks or other issues. Automated reports are generated twice a week and give notice of potentially faulty meters. Total water use is also reviewed monthly for abnormally high use that could indicate a leak. Any potential issues are communicated with appropriate facility staff to be rectified.
UC Davis Facilities Management, with the help of an Energy Systems graduate student, has created an inventory on autoclaves in order to identify autoclaves that are good candidates for retrofits.
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:
For the area of vegetated grounds, we removed the footprint of buildings and non-vegetated surfaces, the area used to grow feed crops, and the experimental agricultural lands. We included the Student Farm because that 23-acre parcel is in Central Campus and actively used for student and public engagement, even though it is also used for food production.
The Davis campus potable water quantity is less than the total water quantity because the campus uses non-potable groundwater for landscape irrigation, as well as recycled water from our wastewater treatment plant. UC Davis is a registered small water supplier and the campus provides ground and surface water supplies for campus uses.
UC Davis maintains a Water Action Plan, which may be accessed at: https://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/resources
Additional information may be found at: https://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/goals/water
This credit was compiled by Syed Muhammad Ahsan Abbas, a Humphrey Fellow affiliated with the UC Davis Sustainability office.
For the area of vegetated grounds, we removed the footprint of buildings and non-vegetated surfaces, the area used to grow feed crops, and the experimental agricultural lands. We included the Student Farm because that 23-acre parcel is in Central Campus and actively used for student and public engagement, even though it is also used for food production.
The Davis campus potable water quantity is less than the total water quantity because the campus uses non-potable groundwater for landscape irrigation, as well as recycled water from our wastewater treatment plant. UC Davis is a registered small water supplier and the campus provides ground and surface water supplies for campus uses.
UC Davis maintains a Water Action Plan, which may be accessed at: https://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/resources
Additional information may be found at: https://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/goals/water
This credit was compiled by Syed Muhammad Ahsan Abbas, a Humphrey Fellow affiliated with the UC Davis Sustainability office.
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.