U California Merced Develops System to Report Water Leaks
New software developed at UC Merced allows anyone on campus with a smart phone to report water leaks to Facilities in a couple of easy steps. Facilities and Operations in mid-March installed quick-response-code stickers that contain two different QR codes, one for leaky sinks and the other for leaky toilets, individually programmed for each specific restroom.
Stanford U Students Petition for Drought-Tolerant Landscaping
The recently presented petition with over 800 signatures asks the university to replace non-signature Stanford grassy areas with native landscaping in order to reduce water consumption. According to the petition, watering plants makes up 40 percent of the university's annual water use.
Emory U Cleans Campus Wastewater for Reuse
A new wastewater reclamation system, called WaterHub, allows the university to clean effluent and reuse nearly 300,000 gallons of campus wastewater daily, cutting potable water consumption as much as 35 percent and projected to save the university millions in water utility costs over a 20-year period. In addition, the project will serve as a living laboratory by allowing students to analyze wastewater samples at various stages of treatment.
Purchase College SUNY Receives $765K for Infrastructure
The recently awarded $765,000 from the Regional Economic Development Council will be used for bio-retention swales and porous pavers in an effort to divert water while still allowing it to permeate the surface instead of going down the storm drains.
U California Santa Cruz Students Engage in Water Conservation
The City of Santa Cruz implemented a 25 percent water restriction to which the university's Sustainability Office responded with a creation of a student Drought Response Team that has audited water fixtures in 64 of 104 buildings resulting in 91 repaired leaks. The team has also created a signage campaign to educate the campus about the importance of water conservation.
Union College to Complete Rain Garden
(U.S.): Spearheaded by a student who spent a recent summer installing rainwater capture systems, the college's green fee selected the rain garden as one of 15 funded projects. The system will be designed to bio-filter roadway runoff water from a residence hall currently under construction.
Bakersfield College Asks Campus to Help Reduce Water Consumption
With California's current water shortage situation, the college is calling on the campus community to report leaks and be more mindful of water use while it will be working on replacing 50-year-old water lines and installing more efficient sprinkler heads.
Indiana U Bloomington Installs Residential Rain Garden
Due to the increase of impervious surface area on campus causing 150 million more gallons of runoff, the university Office of Sustainability and the Campus Division recently partnered to construct the rain garden that was designed to mitigate stormwater runoff issues by incorporating 1,250 plants chosen for their capability to retain and filter water.
Pomona College Adopts Drought Action Plan
(U.S.): With the state of California in its fourth year of drought, the college's new plan reduces landscape irrigation by 20 percent, includes the use of pH controllers on water cooling towers, which reduce the number of water replacement cycles in a building's air conditioning systems, schedules for nighttime watering, and calls for the installation of 750 new low-flow plumbing fixtures.
Louisiana State U Starts Water Bottle Campaign
This fall, the university is giving out punch cards to redeem for a free guest pass or a reusable grocery tote after bringing a refillable bottle 10 times. The university projects that this will save 25,000 to 30,000 bottles out of waterways based on past semester data when the program was first introduced.
Sierra College Reduce Water Usage
(U.S.): Campus landscapes remain green and healthy while saving water through on-going initiatives such as reducing turf areas, planting drought-resistant plants and installing a water efficient irrigation system that have reduced water usage by 20 percent. Additional water saving efforts include pool covers to reduce water evaporation and upcoming upgrades to indoor facilities of low-flow fixtures.
U Arkansas to Maximize Water Conservation Efforts
(U.S.): To reduce water usage and cost, the university will soon install a run-off pond that will supply air conditioning system. Additionally, the irrigation protocol will be redesigned and a $5,000 scholarship that rewards students for sustainability efforts will be created.
Johns Hopkins U Increases Green Efforts
Over the past five years the university has implemented clean energy initiatives such as furniture recycling, compressed natural gas vehicles and installing water bottle-filling stations resulting in the elimination of 456,000 tons of CO2e.
Carnegie Mellon U Starts New Sustainability Program
A new voluntary, self-guided initiative recently began to promote offices that are taking steps toward reducing their environmental footprint through conserving water, saving energy and minimizing waste.
San Diego County Water Authority Promotes Conservation
Students are invited to participate in a new selfie contest of a picture with themselves and a magnet from the authority that says, “When in Drought” in a campaign to increase water conservation efforts such as turning off the water when brushing their teeth.
San Diego State U Conserves Water
The university will soon identify where water is being used to find ways in which water usages can be reduced, such as through the recent installation of a rainwater collection system toward a goal of cutting consumption by 20 percent.
U Alaska Fairbanks Garden Installs Water System
A water system was installed this past spring to allow gardeners to water more efficiently with hoses, instead of hauling buckets and watering cans at the university garden which sells produce at a local market.
Albright College Students Boost Garden Offerings
(U.S.): Students from the college’s garden project began growing herbs and and implemented a new rain barrel system this year, which bolstered ongoing efforts of the pesticide-free agriculture project.
Northern Illinois U Encourages Use of Reusable Water Bottles
(U.S.): In an effort to increase sustainability the university is continuing a campaign to pass out reusable water bottles to students, install water bottle refill stations, and reduce the reliance on disposable plastic water bottles. It is anticipated that 4,500 water bottles will be distributed by the end of fall 2014.
Concordia U Cuts Water Consumption
The university has enacted a new program to reduce water consumption at two campuses by 20 percent over the next three years, which includes facility upgrades and a water consumption awareness campaign for students, faculty and staff.
U Utah Converts to Water Saving Landscape Design
Part of the university’s effort to earn Tree Campus USA recognition, 8,000-square feet of grass were converted to low-water-use trees and shrubs, the funding for which came through a student initiative.
California State U Fresno Plants Desert Landscaping
The new landscaping initiative includes plants and trees that are common to a desert environment in an effort to further water conservation efforts. The university also replaced older sprinkler heads to newer models that use less than half than that of the older technology.
Duke U to Build Rainwater Reclamation Pond
Developed after the worst-on-record 2007 drought, the on-campus, highly visible pond will collect rainwater from 22 percent of campus, and will be used in machinery that cools many campus buildings.
California State U Fresno Introduces Water Conservation Plan
(U.S.): Due to the state's growing drought problem, the university recently announced plans to reduce its water consumption, two-thirds of which are used for campus and farmland irrigation, by 20 percent (60-65 million gallons) by using micro-sprinklers, soil sensors, water meters and drip irrigation.
Western Washington U Prohibits Sale of Bottled Water
(U.S.): In an effort to positively effect social justice and the environment, the university recently approved the move, which will begin in April, after a student-lead campaign was able to get an advisory note on the issue and a campus committee to implement the policy.
Pomona College Constructs Bioswales
In an effort to reduce rain run-off and replenish the underground aquifer, the specially designed catch areas contain water to allow for a slow release into the environment.
Stanford U Implements Water Conservation Methods
The Stanford Community Farm, a one-acre field located on the outskirts of campus, has recently implemented moisture-trapping gardening techniques in order to mitigate water usage in response to the ongoing shortage of rainfall throughout California.
UC Santa Cruz Pilots Water Conservation Campaign
Called the Cold Water Wash competition and using prizes as an incentive, residents in the university's College Eight dorm were asked to use cold water with the goal of reducing natural gas usage. Overall, the campaign ended up saving the equivalent energy of that used by over 10 homes for one year.
San Francisco State U Plants Drought-Tolerant Landscaping
(United States): Due to the state's current drought situation, members of the university's Sustainable SF State and student center's sustainability program are working to educate the campus community about drought-tolerant food, landscaping, and tips for reducing personal consumption.
U Alabama Birmingham Reuses Water for Savings
A network of pipes and tanks now collect and reuse condensate from the university's central cooling system saving it millions of gallons of water and thousands of dollars per month.
U Texas Austin Reduces Irrigation Usage by 66%
With its automated irrigation system, installed in 2011, the university has reduced irrigation usage by 66 percent and saved 90 to 100 million gallons of water. The university also saves water through xeriscaping and a campus chilling station that is connected to the City of Austin’s reclaimed water system.
Carnegie Mellon U Installs Evive Water Station on Campus
(U.S.): The university has entered a contract with Evive Station to find an efficient and cost-effective way of reducing disposable water bottles on campus. Evive Station has installed a machine on campus that allows users to sanitize and refill their reusable bottles.
EPA Announces Campus RainWorks Challenge Winners
(U.S.): The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the four winners of the Campus RainWorks Challenge, a new design challenge created to inspire the next generation of landscape architects, planners and engineers to develop innovative green infrastructure systems that reduce stormwater pollution and support sustainable communities. Winners include the University of Florida Gainesville, University of Arizona, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Indiana U Purdue U Indianapolis Installs Hydration Stations
(U.S.): In an effort to reduce the number of plastic water bottles on campus, the university has installed 35 hydration stations in the past three years to refill reusable bottles. The hydration stations have been particularly well-received in the School of Dentistry.
Southern Oregon U to Offset 100 Percent of its Water Use
In partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), the university announced that it will offset 100 percent of its water use through a five-year commitment to BEF’s Water Restoration Certificate program. Funded through a student-led green fund, the university will restore approximately 80 million gallons of water per year to the Klamath River Basin.
U Texas Austin Uses Reclaimed Water for Cooling Systems
A new system of pipes has been installed to link the university’s chilling stations with Austin Water’s reclaimed water system. The initiative, aimed to save water and increase system efficiency, will allow campus buildings to use filtered wastewater instead of potable water for cooling systems.
Trinity U Installs Water Bottle Refilling Stations
(U.S.): The university has installed 18 water bottle filling stations in both academic buildings and residence halls. The project received funding from the campus administration and Association of Student Representatives.
U California Santa Barbara Approves Water Action Plan
(U.S.): The university has approved a Water Action Plan. This water guidance document identifies historic and current water use and provides water conservation recommendations on a 15-year planning horizon. The plan was designed and produced by six graduate students in collaboration with various stakeholders from the university, as well as local, regional, and national water conservation stakeholders.
Michigan State U Offers Boxed Water
The university has added its single-serve, boxed water product to its main campus offerings. Students will have the option to purchase Boxed Water at the Student Union and in three campus residence halls. The University partnered with Boxed Water is Better because of the company’s focus on sustainability, environmental awareness and its distinct package design.
U California Santa Cruz Constructs Closed-Looped Car Wash
(U.S.): The university has constructed a pressure washing system supplied by a closed-loop water recycling system to prevent contaminating the sewer or bay. Water is cycled through the system using microbes to eat and digest contaminants such as oil. The system helps to locate and eliminate oil leaks that find their way onto roads while keeping fleet vehicles clean using less water in the process.
