Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 51.46
Liaison Bradley Flamm
Submission Date March 6, 2020

STARS v2.2

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.16 / 4.00 Bradley Flamm
Director of Sustainability
Office of the President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Level of ”Physical Risk Quantity” for the institution’s main campus as indicated by the World Resources Institute Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Low to Medium

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 83,011,000 Gallons 87,995,000 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 83,011,000 Gallons 87,995,000 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2018 June 30, 2019
Baseline Period July 1, 2014 June 30, 2015

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

2014/15 is the earliest year for which data are available in a form consistent with most recent 2018/19 data. The consistency is the inclusion of water use in four University Student Housing (USH) residence halls; previously such use had been charged separately and not included in WCU water use statistics.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 5,135 4,813
Number of employees resident on-site 10 10
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 16,024.80 11,561
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,727 1,621
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,172 0
Weighted campus users 13,721.10 11,092.25

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 6,049.88 Gallons 7,933.02 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
23.74

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 3,964,360 Gross square feet 3,398,494 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 20.94 Gallons per square foot 25.89 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
19.13

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 307 Acres 307 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 270,394.14 Gallons per acre 286,628.66 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
5.66

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
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A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Data prior to 2014 does not include water consumption from several major affiliated residence halls which are, in FY 2018, billed along with the rest of the university. This therefore reflects and undercount in our baseline year, for which we do not currently have the data. In addition, for most of FY 2017 and FY 2018 a major leak in our district geothermal system accounted for millions of gallons of additional water use required to replenish the system. That leak was identified and sealed in the winter of 2017-18 and future water use should reflect significant reducations.

Data on water quantities provided by John Lattanze, Energy Manager (jlattanze@wcupa.edu). Number of students resident on campus in base year provided by Peter Galloway, Director of Housing and Dining Administration (pgalloway@wcupa.edu, x3307).


Data prior to 2014 does not include water consumption from several major affiliated residence halls which are, in FY 2018, billed along with the rest of the university. This therefore reflects and undercount in our baseline year, for which we do not currently have the data. In addition, for most of FY 2017 and FY 2018 a major leak in our district geothermal system accounted for millions of gallons of additional water use required to replenish the system. That leak was identified and sealed in the winter of 2017-18 and future water use should reflect significant reducations.

Data on water quantities provided by John Lattanze, Energy Manager (jlattanze@wcupa.edu). Number of students resident on campus in base year provided by Peter Galloway, Director of Housing and Dining Administration (pgalloway@wcupa.edu, x3307).

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.