| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.70 |
| Liaison | Aaron Durnbaugh |
| Submission Date | Jan. 17, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Loyola University Chicago
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.01 / 4.00 |
Aaron
Durnbaugh Director of Sustainability 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 | 109,847,000 Gallons | 113,582,000 Gallons |
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 109,847,000 Gallons | 113,582,000 Gallons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 3,961 | 3,753 |
| Number of residential employees | 26 | 25 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 14,333 | 13,923 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,641 | 2,639 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 717 | 114 |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 4,094,573 Square feet | 3,777,588 Square feet |
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 28.70 Acres | 26.90 Acres |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2007 | June 30, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
We use 2008 as our baseline for all measures.
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Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year: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:
Loyola has installed permeable pavers, drought-tolerant landscaping, rain-water collection cisterns, and living rooftops that all seek to reduce and divert stormwater run-off that otherwise would enter sewer systems, requiring energy-intensive cleaning and purification processes. The cisterns connect to Lake Michigan and feed back over 10 million gallons of water annually to the Great Lakes watershed. Semi-permeable paving material is also used on campus and semi-permeable artificial turf is used on Sean Earl Field inside the track, allowing rain-water to percolate into the ground.
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
Most buildings have building level water metering. On the central part of Lake Shore Campus and Health Sciences Campus, metering is for clusters of buildings. Because of the well and septic system, there is no water meter for the Retreat and Ecology Campus but volume can be determined by calculating pump usage.
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
High efficiency fixtures are standard in any retrofit or new construction
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
WaterSense appliances are standard.
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
Loyola's water smart landscaping requires the incorporation of drought tolerant vegetation and technology. Installation of native vegetation helps reduce water use due to the vegetation's evolved ability to adapt to dry summer conditions.
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
On campus implementation of drought-tolerant vegetation and technology includes a "Smart Irrigation System" which uses weather station data and sections landscaped areas into zones to conserve water. The system is tied back to a controller and remains off except during hot, dry spells. The spray heads used in the irrigation system reduce Loyola's water use by 30%.
Watering takes place during early morning hours when evaporation rates are the lowest
During dry spells, grass and other vegetation are watered only three days a week with varying times of 3-5 minutes to 15-20 minutes. Each zone in the irrigation system has a rain sensor that shuts down watering if rain is detected. Due to the "smart" system that senses moisture due to rainfall, the irrigation system was used only once in August during a cool, wet summer in 2010.
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
We have addressed a number of our water intense mechanical systems.
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.