| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.63 |
| Liaison | Konrad Schlarbaum |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.31 / 5.00 |
Michael
Brubaker Director of Energy and Utilities 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:
Part 1. Reduction in potable water use per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal | 50,618,409 Gallons | 33,154,696 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 50,618,409 Gallons | 33,154,696 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2022 | June 30, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,019 | 755 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 4 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 1 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 9,522 | 6,774 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,630 | 990 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,500.14 | 198 |
| Weighted campus users | 7,495.65 | 5,863.25 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 6,753.04 Gallons | 5,654.66 Gallons |
Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 2. Reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 2,251,013 Gross square feet | 1,392,472 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 22.49 Gallons per square foot | 23.81 Gallons per square foot |
Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
Part 3. Reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 68.61 Acres | 60 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 737,770.14 Gallons per acre | 552,578.27 Gallons per acre |
Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
Optional Fields
The Office of Sustainability provides conservation education to the campus. Numerous retrofit projects on toilets, showers, and faucets have been completed. Signage has accompanied many of the retrofit projects. Since Fall 2022, the UCCS Office of Sustainability has been collaborating with Iconergy and the Institute for the Built Environment (IBE) at Colorado State University to apply the often-overlooked potential of behavior change to maximize the resource savings of capital improvements. In April 2023, the team facilitated a pilot behavior change campaign for UCCS students that complements energy performance contracting (EPC) efforts led by Iconergy. As part of the EPC project, UCCS will implement utility-saving capital improvement measures leveraged by energy savings and system upgrades to reduce annual utility and maintenance costs. The pilot behavior change campaign called the Naked Truth Shower Showdown, was a competition focused on shifting students’ showering behaviors to reduce water and energy use. IBE and Iconergy developed and implemented the program using community-based social marketing (CBSM) methods and practices. The primary purpose of the pilot, which was conducted in three residential buildings, was to test behavior change messaging and strategy and to gather insights to apply to future sustainability efforts on campus. The pilot's success measures included partner engagement, student engagement, and energy and water savings. The pilot resulted in varying success, offered many lessons learned, and provided insights into the potential for future behavior change campaigns to reduce utility costs. The greatest successes included new relationships between the UCCS Office of Sustainability and the Office of Residence Life & Housing, a high level of student champion recruitment, and the discovery that RAs are natural leaders for sustainability. During the four-week competition period, there was a 1% reduction in water use (equivalent to 665 gallons) across the three participating buildings. Student engagement in taking the competition pledge was lower than anticipated; however, notably, post-competition survey data suggested the competition was effective in initiating long-term behavior change. The pilot competition resulted in pledges from 31 students, representing 42% of the pledge goal and 7.5% of the total building occupancy of the three buildings included in the campaign. Five out of six pledgees reported an intention to continue practicing half or more of the actions pledged into the future. https://sustain.uccs.edu/water-competition
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
Water recovery and reuse is illegal in the state of Colorado with the exception of residential homes may have up to two rain barrels with 110 gallons of storage capacity. UCCS uses rain gardens to slow water down and direct water through landscapes.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
All new buildings have low-flow faucets, dual-flush/low-use toilets, and low-flow shower heads where applicable. The university has completed numerous water retrofit projects, including dual flush 1.6/1.1 gpf toilets (from 3.5), 0.125-gallon urinals, 0.5 gpm aerators, and 1.5 gpm showerheads in housing.
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:
UCCS adjusted the baseline and performance metrics for vegetated areas to remove non-irrigated landscapes. The potable water use per floor decreased by 6% even though UCCS increased in building square footage due to the Hybl building being constructed. This building also increased our vegetated grounds, which increased the water per vegetated grounds compared to the 2005 baseline. https://wri.org/applications/aqueduct/water-risk-atlas/#/?advanced=false&basemap=hydro&geoStore=22ca64e80fe3bb417d7ddfcfe3ec32fd&indicator=w_awr_def_tot_cat&lat=38.895803835509035&lng=-133.370530225&mapMode=analysis&month=1&opacity=0.5&ponderation=DEF&predefined=false&projection=absolute&scenario=optimistic&scope=baseline&timeScale=annual&year=baseline&zoom=4
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