University of Cincinnati
OP-21: Water Use

For consistency's sake we have adopted a 2009 baseline across the board for all STARS operational credits, as that is the earliest year for which we have strong consistent data sets across categories.

The University of Cincinnati (UC) takes the conservation of water seriously throughout the daily operation of its buildings—as evidenced by UC’s commitment to building all its new buildings or large- scale renovations to LEED standards. In existing buildings, facility staff are given comprehensive training on detecting and fixing water leaks as soon as discovered. From a purchasing perspective, it is the policy of UC facilities to install high efficiency water fixtures, where appropriate water saving technologies exist. UC’s water conservation policies also extend to the proper maintenance of the utility plant’s chilled water and steam distribution and return systems. These utility systems utilize a vast amount of water and the proper return and reuse of this water represents an enormous ongoing savings for the campus. These building-centered water management strategies parallels additional efforts on the campus to manage storm water runoff and minimize harmful impacts to the larger Cincinnati sewer system.

The University of Cincinnati has worked diligently to try and handle water in the most efficient, conservative, and multi-functional ways possible. Some of the ways this is achieved involves water conservation strategies campus wide through the use of chilled water to regulate building temperatures, harvesting water for irrigation and retention purposes, incorporating pervious hardscapes, and sustainable landscaping. Additionally, UC has a series of underground retention basins to hold water and slow its release during heavy rain events, in the pursuit of reducing UC's contribution to Combined Sewer Overflow events. The following are of the water saving initiatives UC has put in place. UC has converted building cooling system technology to recirculating water systems. The two utility plants have installed technology to reuse water that used to be lost from the boilers, the cooling tower, and chillers.

Currently, the University has two extensive green roofs, one on the DAA addition of the DAAP complex and one on Procter Hall. The University also has the Zimmer Hall Roof Garden that functions as a green roof. The new College of Business also feature an intensive green roof. In addition to reducing the amount of stormwater runoff and lessening the probability of combined sewer overflow events, green roofs are multi-functional as they reduce the urban heat island effect, provide habitat, enhance biodiversity, reduce heating and cooling costs of buildings, and add aesthetic, rejuvenating, and biophilic qualities.

Bioswales are a form of green infrastructure that work to sequester and retain stormwater in order to reduce the possibility of combined sewer overflow events, assist with irrigation, filter out contaminants, and keep water on site. The University has a number of bioswales, most notably the Teachers-Dyer Complex courtyard and in the parking lot of the 1819 Innovation Hub.

UC also promotes the conservation of water and has installed low-flow toilets and other fixtures wherever possible. Annually, UC hosts a Residence Hall Conservation challenge to encourage residence hall students to compete to see which hall can conserve the most water.