Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.49
Liaison Elizabeth Swiman
Submission Date March 15, 2023

STARS v2.2

Florida State University
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.04 / 4.00 Stacy Slavichak
Water Resources Manager
Utilities and Engineering Services
"---" 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 343,250,620 Gallons 539,954,130 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 229,262,220 Gallons 249,974,900 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2021 June 30, 2022
Baseline Period July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

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

FY 2007-08 reflects the first year where data is anticipated to be accurate.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 6,642 6,613
Number of employees resident on-site 12 22
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 39,829 39,413
Full-time equivalent of employees 7,079 6,638
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,741 1,190.80
Weighted campus users 35,538.75 35,303.90

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 6,451.05 Gallons 7,080.66 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
8.89

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 13,610,426 Gross square feet 13,787,288 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 16.84 Gallons per square foot 18.13 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
7.09

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 1,247 Acres 1,123.06 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 275,261.12 Gallons per acre 480,788.32 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
42.75

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:

Sustainable Campus and Facilities Maintenance replaced older water fountains with touch-less bottle fillers. To date, over 225 hydration stations have been installed throughout campus.
Facilities’ social media platforms post educational content related to water pollution and stormwater education.


A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:

Where possible, the Grounds department selects plants that minimize the water usage. FSU has landscaped areas that are non-irrigated and areas that receive no regular irrigation which are planted with native and/or drought tolerant plantings. Examples include the Life Sciences cage wash rooftop and the Student Success building.
The Grounds department utilizes rain shut-off sensors on the irrigation systems to prevent unneeded watering when soil is wet from weather.
FSU utilizes a geothermal cooling system for chiller condensers to eliminate evaporation losses which exist in campus buildings that use cooling towers.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:

All building retrofits use low flow faucets and toilets. These are also mandated by the Florida Energy Code.


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:
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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.