| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.09 |
| Liaison | Jennifer Andrews |
| Submission Date | Aug. 16, 2021 |
University of New Hampshire
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.92 / 4.00 |
Matt
O'Keefe Campus Energy Manageer Energy Office |
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 | 121,341,797 Gallons | 129,558,284 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 91,188,881 Gallons | 116,770,977 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2019 | June 30, 2020 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
The baseline year of FY06 was established in our STARS 2011 submission.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,073 | 6,274 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 27 | 23 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 15,010 | 13,360 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,722 | 3,099 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 3,663 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 11,826.75 | 13,918.50 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 7,710.39 Gallons | 8,389.62 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 | 6,363,619 Gross square feet | 5,797,034 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 14.33 Gallons per square foot | 20.14 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 | 395 Acres | 395 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 307,194.42 Gallons per acre | 327,995.66 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:
UNH has undertaken a number of behavioral campaigns to reduce water use, including a Shorten Your Shower campaign begun in 2019, and now ongoing. Also, staff, faculty and contractors are instructed and encouraged to follow UNH purchasing policies and protocols, which require use of low-flow and water-efficient equipment and fixtures.
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
The 2009 renovation of James Hall included a gray water system that captures rainwater from the building’s roof and gutters for use in toilets and urinals.
UNH typically does not install irrigation as part of building projects. IPM policies, including limited irrigation only where necessary, are followed.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Where economically feasible, high efficiency fixtures and fittings are installed as buildings are renovated or new construction is developed.
In our campus Dining and Residential facilities, our kitchens, laundry rooms and restrooms are all outfitted with high-efficiency fixtures and appliances.
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:
The figures provided for weighted campus users differ from those in PRE-5 because PRE-5 is based on FY21 (the most recent) and the Performance Year we are using for this credit is FY20 (the most recent year for which complete data was available). Since campus operations were largely curtailed in late March of 2020 due to the global pandemic, the figures used to determine "Weighted Campus Users" for our FY20 Performance Year have been adjusted as follows:
- The numbers of FTE students was kept constant (based on the "Unduplicated 12-month headcount and total FTE, by student level: 2019-20" from IPEDS").
- The number of residential students was based on the number of students living in campus housing as of January 2020 (provided by the UNH Housing Office, via personal communication); then adjusted downward by 22%, to reflect the absence of those students from campus housing for two out of the nine months in which they would normally have been present.
- The number of students enrolled exclusively in distance education was based on "Enrollment by distance education: Fall 2019" from IPEDS," similarly adjusted upward by 22% of the student FTE enrollment, again reflecting the 2/9 months in which all students were doing their education remotely.
- The number of FTE staff was based on first calculating a base FTE from the "Number of full- and part-time staff and graduate assistants, by primary occupational category: Fall 2019" chart in IPEDS, excluding graduate assistants (since they are counted as students) and counting part-time employees as 1/3 of an FTE. That base number was then discounted by 10% to reflect the absence of the vast majority of faculty and some staff from campus between mid-March and the end of the FY. It was not discounted by more than that because many staff were still working on campus, helping deal with move-out, getting testing and other emergency medical facilities set-up for the state of NH, etc.
For our baseline year:
The number of FTE students enrolled came from IPEDS (12 month Unduplicated).
The number of residential students and employees came from the UNH Housing Office (personal communication), and is from spring opening '06.
The number of faculty and staff FTE's for baseline came from IPEDS (calculated with PT employees considered 1/3 FTE, FT employees considered 1 FTE).
Water data are for FY2006 (through June 30, 2006) and FY20 (through June 30, 2020), provided by the UNH utilities office, based on metered data. Potable water use excludes irrigation meters at the UNH Field House, agriculture and recreation fields, and outdoor pool and plant makeup.
UNH's co-generation heat and power plant uses cooling towers that use water as part of the process for generating heat and electricity. Therefore, not all of this water consumption is used by faculty, staff and students on campus directly.
The figures provided for weighted campus users differ from those in PRE-5 because PRE-5 is based on FY21 (the most recent) and the Performance Year we are using for this credit is FY20 (the most recent year for which complete data was available). Since campus operations were largely curtailed in late March of 2020 due to the global pandemic, the figures used to determine "Weighted Campus Users" for our FY20 Performance Year have been adjusted as follows:
- The numbers of FTE students was kept constant (based on the "Unduplicated 12-month headcount and total FTE, by student level: 2019-20" from IPEDS").
- The number of residential students was based on the number of students living in campus housing as of January 2020 (provided by the UNH Housing Office, via personal communication); then adjusted downward by 22%, to reflect the absence of those students from campus housing for two out of the nine months in which they would normally have been present.
- The number of students enrolled exclusively in distance education was based on "Enrollment by distance education: Fall 2019" from IPEDS," similarly adjusted upward by 22% of the student FTE enrollment, again reflecting the 2/9 months in which all students were doing their education remotely.
- The number of FTE staff was based on first calculating a base FTE from the "Number of full- and part-time staff and graduate assistants, by primary occupational category: Fall 2019" chart in IPEDS, excluding graduate assistants (since they are counted as students) and counting part-time employees as 1/3 of an FTE. That base number was then discounted by 10% to reflect the absence of the vast majority of faculty and some staff from campus between mid-March and the end of the FY. It was not discounted by more than that because many staff were still working on campus, helping deal with move-out, getting testing and other emergency medical facilities set-up for the state of NH, etc.
For our baseline year:
The number of FTE students enrolled came from IPEDS (12 month Unduplicated).
The number of residential students and employees came from the UNH Housing Office (personal communication), and is from spring opening '06.
The number of faculty and staff FTE's for baseline came from IPEDS (calculated with PT employees considered 1/3 FTE, FT employees considered 1 FTE).
Water data are for FY2006 (through June 30, 2006) and FY20 (through June 30, 2020), provided by the UNH utilities office, based on metered data. Potable water use excludes irrigation meters at the UNH Field House, agriculture and recreation fields, and outdoor pool and plant makeup.
UNH's co-generation heat and power plant uses cooling towers that use water as part of the process for generating heat and electricity. Therefore, not all of this water consumption is used by faculty, staff and students on campus directly.
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.