| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.12 |
| Liaison | Patrick McKee |
| Submission Date | Nov. 16, 2023 |
University of Connecticut
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.00 / 6.00 |
Patrick
McKee Senior Sustainability 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 | 249,899,000 Gallons | 542,351,000 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 249,899,000 Gallons | 542,351,000 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 11,921 | 11,524 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 19 | 26 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 21,410 | 18,616 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 4,340 | 3,702 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 636 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 21,820.50 | 19,626 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 11,452.49 Gallons | 27,634.31 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 | 11,988,536.31 Gross square feet | 9,978,354.96 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 20.84 Gallons per square foot | 54.35 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 | 2,887 Acres | 2,294.88 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 86,560.10 Gallons per acre | 236,330.88 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:
• Since 2007, the Office of Sustainability has conducted an annual EcoMadness competition, in which on-campus residence halls compete to reduce their water and electricity consumption over an entire month. Individual meters on each residence hall building measure and track the water (in gallons) and energy (in kilowatt-hours) used each day. The winning buildings for each category win a free ice cream party with ice cream made from UConn cows, courtesy of the Office of Sustainability.
• “Stop the Drop” signs posted in residence halls and academic building restrooms give contact information for reporting leaking faucets or showerheads to Facilities Operations & Building Services.
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
• UConn’s on-site Water Reclamation Facility provides non-potable water that is used by the on-site Co-Generation Plant, which converts the reclaimed water to steam in order to generate electricity and heat for the campus. The water reclamation facility has allowed UConn to save from 200,000 to 600,000 gallons of potable water a day, with a storage capacity to save up to 1,000,000 gallons per day.
• Rainwater collection is a feature of the Oak Building. The water is used for irrigating adjacent quads. There are two 25,000 gallons tanks that are designed to collect ground water and infiltrating rainwater from the LID features near Oak Hall.
• An irrigation pond at the research farm has a network of channels meant to increase the amount of rainwater collected during storms, lowering the need for pumping to irrigate the research fields.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
• All campus residential halls underwent low-flow retrofits in 2015-16, including the installation of low-flow showerheads and aerators on sink faucets.
• The recent LEED-Silver renovation of the Young Classroom, a 100-year old structure and the primary administrative building for the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, is one example of a whole-scale water efficiency retrofit, including faucets and toilets, in order to reduce water use and wastewater output by 30%.
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:
Note: The UConn Storrs campus draws water from two wellfields adjacent to the Fenton and Willimantic Rivers which are especially vulnerable during periods of drought. A historical drought and consumption by the University in 2005 left a portion of the Fenton river dry. https://www.courant.com/2005/09/16/drought-uconn-leave-stretch-of-river-dry/ Because of this, we have elected to assess the "Physical Risk Quantity" as Medium/High.
Vegetated area includes Planting Beds and Mulched areas, Mown Lawn, Sports Fields, Hydrology, including wetlands, Farmland, Forest
Land cover summary provided by GIS mapping of UConn Storrs and Depot campus.
Note: The UConn Storrs campus draws water from two wellfields adjacent to the Fenton and Willimantic Rivers which are especially vulnerable during periods of drought. A historical drought and consumption by the University in 2005 left a portion of the Fenton river dry. https://www.courant.com/2005/09/16/drought-uconn-leave-stretch-of-river-dry/ Because of this, we have elected to assess the "Physical Risk Quantity" as Medium/High.
Vegetated area includes Planting Beds and Mulched areas, Mown Lawn, Sports Fields, Hydrology, including wetlands, Farmland, Forest
Land cover summary provided by GIS mapping of UConn Storrs and Depot campus.
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.