University of Texas at Austin
OP-23: Rainwater Management

Rain water is being used on new buildings when space for the tanks can be found. UT follows the SECO requirements and documents any reason rain water may not be utilized. Two sites on campus use rain water harvesting and a third is under redesign to incorporate rain water harvesting. The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has had an active water recovery program since the 1980s. UEM currently saves more than 100 million gallons of potable water each year through innovative uses of alternative water sources, and in the history of the program, the university has recovered more than 1.3 billion gallons. These alternative sources include groundwater and air conditioning condensate water recovered from building cooling systems. Our newest chilling station, located at Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and Red River, will join Chilling Station 5 in being fed primarily with alternative sources of water. Since 2013, UEM has also been using reclaimed water from the City of Austin. This reclaimed water, which is significantly lower in cost than potable water, is highly treated municipal wastewater and is used for making up evaporative losses in some campus cooling towers. UEM is also working with Landscape Services in Facilities Services on a project to use reclaimed water for landscape irrigation. https://utilities.utexas.edu/efficiency/water-conservation-efforts

University Texas Austin has had a storm water permit under the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) since 2000. As part of this permit, the University has developed and implemented a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) to address all campus operations that may potentially have an adverse effect on storm water discharges. The program includes new development at the Main Campus, Pickle Research Campus, and the Colorado and Brackenridge Apartments that are owned and operated by the University. UT Austin’s SWMP addresses areas for ongoing campus activities by establishing inspection and monitoring, best management practices, and policies and procedures for University Staff to follow to minimize negative impacts to storm water discharges. UT-Austin has formally adopted the Waller Creek which runs through the main campus under a program called “Keep Austin Beautiful” and volunteer student cleanups of the Creek are organized twice a year. Inspection and monitoring of storm sewer system, annual open channel and quarterly open channel restriction inspections, procedural and structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) as well as inspection and maintenance requirements for all construction projects, flood control projects, sweeping and removal of debris accumulation on roadways, requirements for pesticide and herbicide application, illicit and improper disposal identification and elimination, spill prevention and response program, public education, wet and dry weather monitoring.

https://utilities.utexas.edu/efficiency/water-conservation-efforts