| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.79 |
| Liaison | Mary Whitney |
| Submission Date | Sept. 22, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Chatham University
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Mary
Whitney University Sustainability Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water use | 16,125,000 Gallons | 29,364,000 Gallons |
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 16,125,000 Gallons | 29,364,000 Gallons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 448 | 400 |
| Number of residential employees | 12 | 2 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 2,134 | 1,136 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 406 | 406 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 135 | 0 |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 1,100,000 Square feet | 984,000 Square feet |
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 420 Acres | 32 Acres |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
Chatham uses 2005 as the baseline year for water due to the requirements for the 2012 STARS assessment.
Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
Rainwater is collected in a large rain barrel at Beatty Hall and used for watering the surrounding shrub border.
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
The university has installed aerators on all faucets.
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Chatham always considers water efficient appliances first when replacing or upgrading.
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
Chatham University is in a high rainfall area, therefore, our xeriscaping is limited. We do preference native plants adapted to the region in our plantings. The native plants are able to survive the area’s wet, high humidity and cold/thaw cycle without supplemental watering.
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
We do not water grass regularly and we do not have a built-in irrigation system.
In rare times of extreme heat, we may water newly-established trees or borders, but this is done on a high-stress basis only.
In the fall, we re-seed the Shadyside upper campus quad due to summer camp damage, which does require irrigation. This is only done during this re-seeding process and not at any other time of the year.
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
We utilize native plants in order to decrease the amount of watering needed.
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.