Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.90
Liaison Paul Mathisen
Submission Date April 16, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
OP-26: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.90 / 4.00 Liz Tomaszewski
Facilities Systems Manager/Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Department
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Medium to High

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use 43,470,683 Gallons 30,786,295 Gallons

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Potable water use::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 34,970,683 Gallons 30,786,295 Gallons

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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of residential students 1,941 1,237
Number of residential employees 4 2
Number of in-patient hospital beds 0 0
Full-time equivalent enrollment 4,125 2,894
Full-time equivalent of employees 916 760
Full-time equivalent of distance education students 399 0

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Gross floor area of building space::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 2,394,471 Square feet 1,946,938 Square feet

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Area of vegetated grounds::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 35 Acres 35 Acres

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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014
Baseline Year July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

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A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
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Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
850,000 Gallons

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Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
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A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
Two 25,000 gallon cisterns were installed under the Quadrangle that collect drainage water from the roof and perimeter of the Sports & Recreation Center. This water is pumped to the roof of this building and used for the rooftop cooling towers. This process saves 850,000 gallons of fresh water per year.

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A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
Water metering is provided through the City of Worcester water usage system. Metering is separate by each WPI building.

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A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
Waterless urinals were installed in the Sports & Recreation Center. Low-flow faucets and showers were installed in the Sports & Recreation Center, East Hall, and Faraday Hall. Toilet flushometers were installed in the Sports & Recreation Center and Faraday Hall. In building renovations, priority is placed on water conservation appliances.

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A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
In building renovations, priority is placed on water conservation applicances.

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A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
The green roof built atop East Hall includes native plants that do not require irrigation.

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A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
Rain sensors are installed on the irrigation systems, which prevent irrigation when it is raining.

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A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
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The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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