Water
Introduction
Water conservation, recycling and reuse, and effective rainwater management practices are important in maintaining and protecting finite groundwater supplies. Likewise, pumping, delivering, and treating water is a major driver of energy consumption, so institutions can help reduce energy use and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy generation by conserving water. Water conservation and effective rainwater and wastewater management also reduce the need for effluent discharge into local surface water supplies, which helps improve the health of local water ecosystems.
Featured Resources
New Resources
Reduce the Juice – Saving Energy in Halls of Residence
- AASHE (PA)
- University of London
At the University of London, in England, we have launched a behaviour change programme aimed at students living on campus in the University’s halls of residence. The aim of ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Watershed UGA: A living laboratory transforming campus and community through teaching, research and service
- University of Georgia (GA)
Watershed UGA created a vision and framework for using the campus as a living laboratory to advance sustainability through teaching, research, public service and outreach, and university operations. We are ...
- Posted May 18, 2017
- Case Studies
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LEED® Platinum - University of Miami Frost School of Music Studios
- University of Miami (FL)
The Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music is one of the largest and best music schools located in a private university in the U.S., and one of the ...
- Posted May 11, 2017
- Case Studies
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San Francisco State University Facilities Grounds dept. & Housing Sustainability Committee
- San Francisco State University (CA)
Students learned about the role Bioswales play in storm water management . A Bioswale is a large depression in the landscape that holds rain water and allows it to slowly percolate ...
- Posted April 28, 2017
- Photographs
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University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Earth Fest 2017 celebrates Space, Energy, and Water
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)
EDINBURG & BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS—APRIL 19-20, 2017-- This year’s Earth Fest theme is Space, Energy, and Water, featuring three guest speakers, an Exhibitor Expo, and a Dinner & Movie ...
- Posted April 27, 2017
- Photographs
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SJSU Student Health and Wellness Center
- San Jose State University (CA)
The Student Health and Counseling facility was constructed to enhance access for students living on campus while balancing convenient care for the growing residential population through both location and features ...
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Case Studies
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Boiler Feed Recycled Water Conversion Project
- San Jose State University (CA)
The Central Plant facilities at San Jose State University (SJSU) campus currently uses approximately 23,000 CCF annually of potable water at the boiler make-up water feed system. In order ...
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Case Studies
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AU's Energy Team Partners with DOEE to educate the community
- American University (DC)
- United States Department of Energy (DC)
In efforts to promote American University’s Annual Campus Beautification Day, the Energy and Engineering Team at AU partnered with the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) to locate ...
- Posted April 26, 2017
- Photographs
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Restroom Water Reduction Potential at an Urban University
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
A water audit was conducted at a variety of University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus buildings to help evaluate the potential to conserve water and save the university money ...
- Posted April 20, 2017
- Publications
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SAVE Sustainable Actions Visible Effects
- Pomona College (CA)
Project Overview Pomona-College is excited to present their innovative partnership with MelRok, “The Streaming Energy Innovator”. This partnership is the foundation of Pomona’s SAVE, Sustainable Actions Visible Effects initiative ...
- Posted March 9, 2017
- Case Studies
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Immerse in Your Watershed: Problem-Based, Service Learning for Undergraduate Sustainability Education
- Maharishi University of Management (IA)
This case study describes a problem-based and service learning module in which undergraduate students participated in a community-based project. Students joined a group consisting of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public ...
- Posted Feb. 20, 2017
- Publications
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AASHE Award Winner Webinar - Developing Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Strategies Through Student Research
- University of Houston (TX)
- University of Michigan (MI)
- AASHE (PA)
Student groups at the University of Houston and University of Michigan have developed strategies for energy efficiency and water conservation on campus through research.
At the University of Michigan, a ...
- Posted Feb. 16, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Case study for evaluating campus sustainability: nitrogen balance for the University of Minnesota
- Carleton College (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
American ecologists recently began to address the ecology of cities. Concurrently, higher education institutions have developed sustainability education programs and instituted sustainability policies and projects. This paper draws together these ...
- Posted Jan. 27, 2017
- Publications
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Communicating sustainability: student perceptions of a behavior change campaign
- University of Arizona (AZ)
- University of Calgary (AB)
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impacts of a science-based environmental communication campaign at a university dining hall. The impacts are assessed in terms of student attitudes toward sustainability ...
- Posted Jan. 13, 2017
- Publications
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Key Facilities Metrics Survey and Report
- APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities (VA)
- National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO) (DC)
The Key Facilities Metrics Survey is a brief annual survey designed to encourage attention to a small number of key facilities metrics: total energy consumption per square foot, electricity consumption ...
- Posted Dec. 12, 2016
- Tools
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Community Partnerships for Stormwater Management
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (WI)
- Villanova University (PA)
Hear from two universities, Villanova University and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), on example stormwater projects both on and off campus. Learn what works and what doesn't in campus stormwater ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Universal Designs, Part 1: Nicaragua
- Villanova University (PA)
Universal Designs' documents the decade plus long relationship the Villanova engineering and nursing schools have with the remote region of Waslala, Nicaragua by highlighting the ways the relationship has transformed ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Optimizing Effluent Water Quality in Water Reclamation and Reuse
- Emory University (GA)
- NextEra Distributed Water, Inc. (VA)
Managing water-related challenges through water reclamation and reuse is vital to all bulk water consumers. Decentralized water reclamation and reuse decreases the demand for potable water supplies, provides increased resiliency ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Net Zero Water: not a dry Topic
- Williams College (MA)
- Bruner/Cott Architects (MA)
- Integrated Eco Strategy
- Berkshire Design Group (MA)
Construction often negatively impacts the natural balance of water cycles. Even regions with historically abundant quantities of potable water are depleting aquifers, while record rainfall provides destructive amounts of storm ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Water Audit Process at the University of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
Water is increasingly on the minds of campus facilities and sustainability administrators, specifically how to use less in campus buildings. As an initial step toward developing conservation strategies and priorities ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Beyond Excuses: Banning Bottled Water on Your Campus
- Eastern Washington University (WA)
- University of Puget Sound (WA)
Over 100 North American universities have enacted policies banning bottled water and promoting tap water as a more preferable choice. This workshop will outline the steps of banning bottled water ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Post Occupancy Evaluation for Landscapes
- Kirksey Architecture (TX)
Landscape design has the power to address multiple sustainability issues. These include providing shade, creating habitat, managing stormwater quality and quantity, minimizing light pollution, and providing usable outdoor spaces for ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Tracking student shower usage in real-time
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (MA)
Self-reported shower durations suffer from memory inconsistency and timing accuracy as humans generally have great difficulty telling time internally. Our pre- and post-program self-report surveys also introduce errors due to ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Knowledge Flows Downstream: Partnering to Build Watershed Awareness on Campus and at Local Elementary/Middle Schools..
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
A collaboration between Pennsylvania Sea Grant and Penn State Erie, The Behrend College provided undergraduate students with science-based information about watershed health, water quality and the impacts of excess storm ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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HydroCats: Research and Citizen Science Applications for Water Harvesting
- University of Arizona (AZ)
From its inception, University of Arizona HydroCats has been structured on community involvement and off-campus project development. This year, HydroCats interns have expanded the program's role in Tucson neighborhoods ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Sustainable General Chemistry: Incorporating Sustainability into Both Theme and Experiment Design in the Freshman Chemistry Lab
- Concordia College (NY)
Over the past decade, the general chemistry laboratory experience at Concordia College has evolved from a traditional expository style program to an inquiry based program which incorporates a number of ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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UA Campus Garage Rain Water Harvesting Project
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The University of Arizona Community Garden was started by a group of students in 2011. As of today, the community garden is being used to its full potential. Every plot ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Beyond the Campus: Community Engagement in Sustainability and Resilience
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
In this session we will show how we engaged community partners in climate change resilience efforts and promoted energy and water conservation in the community. In 2015-16 the Institute for ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Creating a living system for treatment of greywater in a local business
- Appalachian State University (NC)
In many areas of the world clean water is in limited supply. Most water from a home or business results in waste water known as greywater which contains no sewage ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Campus-Scale Water Reuse Solutions to Enhance Water Sustainability in Higher Ed
- NextEra Distributed Water, Inc. (VA)
Water reclamation and reuse is vital for bulk-water consumers, like college campuses, to meet water supply challenges. Campus-scale reclaimed water projects, like the WaterHub® at Emory University, are becoming increasingly ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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A Water Quality Argument for Vegetated Roofs in Charleston, South Carolina
- College of Charleston (SC)
As part of the College of Charleston's Green Roofs initiative, we investigated the potential benefits of employing vegetated roof technology, specifically on the quality of Charleston's waterways. Using ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Water Conservation at the University of Houston
- University of Houston (TX)
The responsibility for ensuring a sustainable water future lies within the community as a whole. Because colleges and universities are inextricably woven into the communities in which they live, their ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Opening Keynote - Marc Edwards
- Virginia Tech (VA)
Marc Edwards is the Charles Lunsford Professor of Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech. A renowned expert on water contamination and MacArthur 'genius' grant recipient, Dr. Edwards led the research teams ...
- Posted Nov. 18, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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UNLV Sustainability - Water Bottle Reduction Efforts
- University of Nevada Las Vegas (NV)
Two complimentary bottled water initiatives at University of Nevada, Las Vegas are helping the university reduce bottled water waste while simultaneously raising funds for bottled water alternatives. A 5-Cent Surcharge ...
- Posted Sept. 20, 2016
- Photographs
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Stanford Photos for Top Performer Categories
- Stanford University (CA)
Below are some photos that capture sustainability on Stanford's campus in the four categories in Research, Buildings, Water, and Diversity & Affordability.
- Posted Sept. 20, 2016
- Photographs
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Muhlenberg College Water Conservation Native Plants
- Muhlenberg College (PA)
Muhlenberg College has a living learning experience for undergraduate students at the Treehouse. Here, students manage the permculture garden and community vegetable garden which includes a rainwater collection system. The ...
- Posted Sept. 14, 2016
- Photographs
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Water is a priority at Wellesley College
- Wellesley College (MA)
Photo shows the importance of water at Wellesley College. We have our own wells and water treatment facility for potable water. The college is also located within the Charles River ...
- Posted Sept. 13, 2016
- Photographs
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New System Can Help Save Water with a Couple of Clicks
- University of California, Merced (CA)
Quick-response codes are posted in each restroom in SSM so people can submit repair requests just by scanning with their smart phones.
- Posted Sept. 12, 2016
- Photographs
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Penn State's Living Filter
- Pennsylvania State University (PA)
Students sample water quality at Penn State's "Living Filter", a 600-acre vegetated area where all treated effluent from the University’s wastewater treatment plant is spray applied, eliminating direct ...
- Posted Sept. 12, 2016
- Photographs
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Installation of Coiled Heat Exchange at Miami University
- Miami University (OH)
Miami University’s new stormwater installation combines stormwater treatment and management, geothermal heating and cooling, energy reduction and water conservation. Through this system, rainwater is collected, slowed, cooled and cleaned ...
- Posted Sept. 8, 2016
- Photographs
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Indiana State: Green Infrastructure for Water
- Indiana State University (IN)
Combined Sewer Overflows are a big problem for post-industrial towns like Terre Haute, Indiana, and as Indiana State University provides one of the largest concentrations of users of impervious surfaces ...
- Posted Sept. 8, 2016
- Photographs
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CSUN's Saves 55 Million Gallons per Year Through Various Water Conservation Efforts
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
In an effort to meet the State of California's mandated water conservation targets, California State University, Northridge has made significant strides in reducing water use through irrigation improvements and ...
- Posted Sept. 8, 2016
- Photographs
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Water Conservation at the University of Houston
- University of Houston (TX)
A group of University of Houston students enrolled in Energy & Sustainability with similar interests in water conservation investigated a potential water-saving solution for the University of Houston.
Their research ...
- Posted Sept. 8, 2016
- Photographs
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Parkerson Mill Creek restoration after one growing season
- Auburn University (AL)
This is Parkerson Mill Creek one growing season after completion of the stream restoration project.
- Posted Sept. 6, 2016
- Photographs
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UOIT Storm Pond
- Ontario Tech University (ON)
To manage runoff on the main UOIT campus, stormwater is directed to wet ponds, bioswales and storm ponds in a manner that demonstrates sustainable storm water design while enriching the ...
- Posted Sept. 6, 2016
- Photographs
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Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Integrated Water Management
- University of British Columbia (BC)
The Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Integrated Water Management is an intensive one-year degree program that will enable you to spearhead initiatives focused on water use, treatment, research and ...
- Posted Aug. 29, 2016
- Academic Programs
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Bringing the research home: partnership for watershed restoration
- Oregon State University (OR)
The Corvallis Sustainability Coalition is a network of more than 250 businesses, non-profits, faith communities, educational institutions, local governments and individuals in Corvallis, Oregon, brought together to accelerate progress toward ...
- Posted Aug. 25, 2016
- Conference Presentations
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Stop the Drop! Sign
- University of Connecticut (CT)
Stop the Drop! signs encourage students to report leaks immediately and are intended to be placed near sinks and showers as well as in laundry rooms.
- Posted Aug. 25, 2016
- Outreach Materials
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Net Zero Water Planning Toolkit
- Brendle Group (CO)
The Net Zero Water (NZW) Planning Toolkit is intended to standardize and simplify water analysis and planning, while also maximizing economic returns and environmental benefits. The toolkit includes four phases ...
- Posted Aug. 12, 2016
- Tools
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Implementation Model: Water Hub
- Emory University (GA)
- United States Department of Energy (DC)
Emory University’s Water Hub uses on-site, adaptive ecological technology to reclaim up to 400,000 gallons of campus wastewater daily. The system has cut potable water consumption by as ...
- Posted Aug. 8, 2016
- Tools
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
OP 21: Water Use
- Level of Physical Risk Quantity (World Resources Institute Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas)
- Potable water use per weighted campus user, performance year
- Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline
- Potable water use per unit of floor area, performance year
- Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline
- Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds, performance year
- Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline
- Water-related behavior change initiatives
- Water recovery and reuse initiatives
- Initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives
- Website URL - Water conservation and efficiency efforts
OP 22: Rainwater Management
- Green infrastructure and LID practices
- Rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines(upload)
- Rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines (description)
- Website URL- Green infrastructure and LID practices
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.