| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.42 |
| Liaison | Mary-Lee Townsend |
| Submission Date | Oct. 6, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Western University
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.00 / 3.00 |
Stefanie
De Adder Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Management |
Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water use | 1,109,776.47 Cubic meters | 858,531.59 Cubic meters |
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 1,109,776.47 Cubic meters | 858,531.59 Cubic meters |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 6,161 | 5,575 |
| Number of residential employees | 858 | 810 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 377 | 377 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 29,050 | 27,410 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 6,308 | 6,000 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 875 | 822 |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 766,865.77 Square meters | 721,178.03 Square meters |
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 134.63 Hectares | 135.68 Hectares |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | May 1, 2013 | April 30, 2014 |
| Baseline Year | May 1, 2009 | April 30, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
Approximately 25% of the buildings on campus are included in the current water metering system. Western is in the process of implementing water meters in all buildings on campus.
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
With the help of Western's utility suppler, all University Residences have been retrofitted with low-flow fixtures. These units now use approximately 30% less water than the old ones. Several residence bathrooms now also have senor automated urinals that prevent the units from flushing continuously.
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
The Facilities Management department has introduced “closed-loop” cooling for new equipment. While old systems ran large quantities of cold water through equipment to cool them and then drained out all the heated water, the new closed-loop system retains, re-chills, and reuses the original water. The replacement of water-cooled equipment “chillers” with energy-cooled chillers has produced substantial annual water savings.
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
Western plants tolerant perennials (e.g., at the Clinical Skills Building) so no irrigation is necessary. The only places that are watered on campus are the new trees and the garden displays. Western also mulches all perennial flower beds in a 3 year cycle.
Furthermore, the CMLP Building has a green roof covered with flats of drought-resistant sedum, a hardy garden plant, making it a very low-maintenance roof.
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
The weather informed irrigation system used at Western is comprised of rain sensors. Furthermore, the grounds crew manually checks that plants are not being over-watered.
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
A Western student developed the University’s “Save the Blue Campaign”, a water conservation initiative encouraging students living in residence to reduce their water usage. A follow-up survey revealed notable improvements in student water usage, including a 55 percent increase in the reporting of leaks.
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.