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Sustainable Water Conservation Strategies for Campus Environment

This initiative aims to reduce potable water usage and associated emissions on campus by implementing feasible targets and strategies. By normalizing water levels, increasing stormwater capture, and utilizing non-potable water, a sustainable water management approach is established. The revised strategies focus on data collection, water reuse, integration of natural elements, and landscape design to achieve long-term water conservation goals. Collaboration with campus units and external agencies help promote water conservation efforts and education. Key stakeholders from various departments are involved in planning and implementing these strategies.

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Sustainable Water Conservation Strategies for Campus Environment

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  1. Water

  2. Current Targets Reduce potable water usage and its associated emissions from a fiscal year 2008 baseline: • 20 percent by 2015 • 30 percent by 2020 • 40 percent by 2025. Current targets are meaningful and feasible.

  3. Revised Targets Targets should not only address campus as a whole, but also for its constituent parts. The following should be added to existing targets. • Normalized levels of 20,000 gallons per weighted campus user in 2020 and 16500 gallons per weighted campus user by 2025. • Normalized levels of 46 gallons per total buildings sq. ft) by 2020 and 39 gallons per sq. ft. in 2025. • Increase storm water capture by 25% by 2020, of which 50% will be re-used on campus and 50% will contribute to infiltration and recharge.

  4. Current Strategies • Commission an internal, student-assisted study to determine a detailed water use baseline, the "true cost of water," and the related emissions. • Include "true cost of water" charges with the energy billing program. • Begin utilizing non-potable water, including untreated raw water, sump pump discharge, cooling wastewater, stormwater and graywater. • Connect the raw water system by 2020. Current iCAP strategies are signals for more comprehensive water use measures .

  5. Revised Strategies Strategies for the long term: • Undertake a bottoms-up approach to estimate consumption by end-use using best practices to determine reductions achievable by water conservation alone. • Plan for water reuse to be a major strategy for reducing campus fresh water demand in the present and beyond 2025 • Integrate the physical and natural elements of campus topography to reduce water demand on campus and facilitate reuse

  6. Revised Strategies Strategies for the short term: Data collection and Monitoring • Make available water quantity and quality data on a publicly accessible site to encourage transparency, instructional use, and campus-wide participation in conservation activities. The site interface may be most effective if modeled after the energy dashboard and could be used in tandem with the energy dashboard. • Establish/publicize anticipatory yearly goals for achieving water reduction

  7. Revised Strategies Strategies for the short term: Utility and Building Operations • Begin utilizing non-potable water, including untreated raw water, sump pump discharge, cooling wastewater, storm water and gray water. • Require a review of the water impact of all new construction, modifications, or expansion across all campus units including auxiliaries. • Implement recommendations in the SSC sponsored project on water conservation in cooling tower operations

  8. Revised Strategies Strategies for the short term: Landscape Design • Take inventory of current landscape performance relative to existing pavement and landscape surfaces and features, against the long-term transition toward a water-positive campus environment. • Calculate the true cost/benefit of the traditional versus sustainable campus landscape maintenance and operations.

  9. Revised Strategies Strategies for the short term: Landscape Design Cont. • Integrate rainwater capture strategies with other physical campus commitments and objectives such as carbon sequestration. • Utilize the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) as a rating systems for all projects on campus, to promote education and assist coordination in developing high-performing sustainable landscape practices • Maintain that the campus landscape preserves regional identity by avoiding “off-the-shelf” materials in favor of regionally specific ones.

  10. Revised Strategies Strategies for the short term: Education • Partner with campus units such as PRI and outside agencies such as Alliance for Water Efficiency, WateReuse Foundation, AWWA etc to promote water conservation efforts. • Provide classroom opportunities to develop water use reduction projects on campus. • Require orientation for sustainable water use in dormitories, potentially alongside implementation of more water efficient installations.

  11. Keith Erickson Utility Distribution, Facilities & Services Lance Langer Undergraduate, Civil & Environmental Engineering Amy Liu Undergraduate, Urban & Regional Planning Mary Pat Mattson Department of Landscape Architecture KishoreRajagopalan Illinois Sustainable Technology Center Lance Schideman Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

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