Washington University in St. Louis
OP-21: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.81 / 4.00 |
Phil
Valko Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability 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 | 411,983,001 Gallons | 537,893,583 Gallons |
Potable water use:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 411,783,001 Gallons | 537,893,583 Gallons |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2013 | June 30, 2014 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
Fiscal Year 2014 is the earliest year that we have been able to compile actual water use data for both the Danforth and School of Medicine Campuses.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 4,902 | 4,432 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 13 | 20 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 25 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 16,459 | 14,344 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 15,821 | 12,488 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 222 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 25,297.25 | 21,237 |
Potable water use per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per weighted campus user | 16,277.78 Gallons | 25,328.13 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 | 11,302,973 Gross square feet | 10,301,568 Gross square feet |
Potable water use per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use per unit of floor area | 36.43 Gallons per square foot | 52.21 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 | 167.10 Acres | 162 Acres |
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds | 2,465,487.74 Gallons per acre | 3,320,330.76 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:
Washington University's "Less is More" campaign is a focal point of our behavioral education and outreach and includes a number of messaging points and resources like point-of-use stickers to encourage water conservation.
A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
The Lofts of Washington University includes a 25,000 gallon cistern that harvests rainwater to use for irrigation. The Living Learning Center is Living Building certified and includes a 3,000 gallon cistern that harvests and filters rainwater for in-building uses. The East End district includes a 30,000 gallon cistern that harvests rainwater for irrigation. The Tyson Research Center is home to a 20,000 gallon cistern that harvests rainwater for irrigation of a research garden.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Washington University replaced all residential showerheads in summer 2017 with low-flow shower heads, saving an estimated 9 - 13 million gallons of water each year. All renovation projects include high-efficiency toilets, sinks, and shower heads with flow rates lower than the EPA's WaterSense criteria.
In addition, major energy conservation projects have also resulted in significant water savings, including heat recovery chillers that reduce cooling tower water use and upgrades to the campus steam distribution system.
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:
- Gross square footage in OP21 differs from gross square footage because the University’s 2010 – 2020 water use reduction goal focused on the University’s two main campuses in order to strike a balance between impact, effort to track data, and focused implementation. Baseline data and subsequent year data reported here are for the main academic, medical and residential campuses (Danforth, S40, and School of Medicine) and do not include two administrative campuses (West and North) or the university's other holdings. PRE4 includes Danforth, S40, School of Medicine, satellite administrative buildings, and off-campus housing. It’s important to note that while the GHG goal has been focused on the most water intensive subset of our holdings (the two main campuses and on-campus housing), we have made strides reducing water use throughout our holdings. This includes a multi-year set of gut renovations of approximately 100 historic apartment buildings that replaced old high-flow fixtures with low flow fixtures. The data reported here does not account for the water use at the satellite sites or take credit for the reductions at the satellite sites.
Similarly, weighted campus users were only included for the campuses within the scope of the reported emissions data.
- Gross square footage in OP21 differs from gross square footage because the University’s 2010 – 2020 water use reduction goal focused on the University’s two main campuses in order to strike a balance between impact, effort to track data, and focused implementation. Baseline data and subsequent year data reported here are for the main academic, medical and residential campuses (Danforth, S40, and School of Medicine) and do not include two administrative campuses (West and North) or the university's other holdings. PRE4 includes Danforth, S40, School of Medicine, satellite administrative buildings, and off-campus housing. It’s important to note that while the GHG goal has been focused on the most water intensive subset of our holdings (the two main campuses and on-campus housing), we have made strides reducing water use throughout our holdings. This includes a multi-year set of gut renovations of approximately 100 historic apartment buildings that replaced old high-flow fixtures with low flow fixtures. The data reported here does not account for the water use at the satellite sites or take credit for the reductions at the satellite sites.
Similarly, weighted campus users were only included for the campuses within the scope of the reported emissions data.
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.