Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.85
Liaison Ruairi O'Mahony
Submission Date May 1, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Massachusetts Lowell
OP-26: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.00 / 4.00 Paul Piraino
Energy and Sustainability Manager
Facilities Operations & Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Medium to High

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use 105,486 Gallons 62,319 Gallons

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Potable water use::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 105,486 Gallons 62,319 Gallons

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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of residential students 3,645 2,623
Number of residential employees 25 0
Number of in-patient hospital beds 0 0
Full-time equivalent enrollment 12,884 9,350
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,726 1,262
Full-time equivalent of distance education students 1,300 950

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Gross floor area of building space::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 4,254,334 Square feet 2,653,569 Square feet

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Area of vegetated grounds::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 53.60 Acres 54.50 Acres

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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014
Baseline Year July 1, 2008 June 30, 2009

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A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
NA

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Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
0 Gallons

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Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
0 Gallons

None
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
UMass Lowell has installed green roofs with plant beds to absorb rainwater on two new LEED certified buildings. Rainwater is also captured to irrigate plants. http://www.uml.edu/UniversityCrossing/Sustainability.aspx http://recovergreenroofs.com/?projects=umass-lowell-lowell-ma

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A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
UMass Lowell has implemented a water tracking system called Utility Tracker which looks at consumption and cost information. This data helps to target areas to for efficiency measures. http://www.uml.edu/docs/UML%20Climate%20Action%20Plan_tcm18-74405.pdf

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A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
At UMass Lowell, the consideration for green building is a priority. In UMass Lowell's Sustainability Initiative and Green Design Standards, as well as Plumbing Standards it is suggested that water use reduction specifications should be employed, specifically to "incorporate plumbing fixtures that are high efficiency or dual flush. Toilets, urinals and faucets should target 20‐40% less water usage than the listed baselines: Toilets 1.6 gpf, Urinals 1.0 gpf, Faucets 0.5 gpm or 0.25 gallons per cycle for metering faucets" These standards can be found here: http://www.biddocsonline.com/elibrary/divisions/index/90

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A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
NA

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A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
UMass Lowell's new University Crossing includes vegetation that was planted with a purpose of minimizing storm runoff.

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A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
NA

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A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
UMass Lowell's Plumbing Standards has a section dedicated to Sustainability in which new construction and major renovations projects should seek to meet LEED Plus standards including the reduction of outdoor potable water consumption for irrigation by 50% and indoor water consumption by 20%.

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The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.