| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 62.11 |
| Liaison | Natalie Sobrinski |
| Submission Date | June 16, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Muhlenberg College
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Tim
Korn Maintenance Supervisor Plant Operations |
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 | 33,330,849 Gallons | 63,815,559 Gallons |
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 33,330,849 Gallons | 63,815,559 Gallons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 2,248 | 2,281 |
| Number of residential employees | 10 | 0 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 2,488.68 | 2,490.68 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 518 | 492 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 0 | 0 |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 1,472,679 Square feet | 1,451,443 Square feet |
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 172.80 Acres | 172.80 Acres |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
The baseline is the year several water significant water conservation strategies were adopted for implementation the following year.
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Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year: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:
Muhlenberg College utilizes water retention ponds and underground storage. In one location, the retention pond water is re-used as hillside irrigation.
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
The Main Campus building are all metered and sub metered. All of Muhlenberg’s MILE properties are separately metered amounting to 81 buildings.
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
Low-flow showerheads, sinks, aerators, and toilets were installed in the bathrooms. Steam trap maintenance was conducted extensively. Efforts were made to proactively engaging in preventative maintenance to catch leaks. Steam lines were replaced during this time.
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Two major water conservation efforts were implemented at the level of the central physical plant. Additives were added to the boiler system water and the chilled water system to prevent those systems from building up deposits and necessitating frequent flushing of the water from the entire system. This has reduced the number of times the system needs to be flushed resulting in decreased water use.
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
Muhlenberg College does use xeriscape-landscaping techniques, including the selection of drought tolerant plants. Muhlenberg College gives preference native drought resistant plant species, including natives, to reduce the necessity to irrigate. In recent years, the College has very specifically selected these plants to thrive in this region without much if any additional water (aside from rain). Lawn design has also reflected a preference for little to no additional watering and a tolerance for allowing the lawn to be dormant at certain times. Muhlenberg has significantly changed its landscape watering to remove the use of hoses. If specific water is needed for planting, a 250 gallon water truck is utilized for that purposes. This represents a significant departure from previous practices.
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
Muhlenberg College does use weather data or weather sensors to automatically adjust irrigation practices. Weather data is used to determine whether rain is in the forecast. Plant Operations will adjust the automatic watering systems to adjust so that they do not go off if it is suppose to rain.
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
Muhlenberg College has recently significantly reduced its water use by installing water efficient fixtures, adding water softeners to the hard Allentown water to reduce water flushing in the boiler and chiller systems, and dramatically reduced lawn and landscape watering by changing plantings and allowing grass to go dormant.
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Tim Korn, Brett Fulton and Kalyna Procyk contributed to the reporting.
Tim Korn, Brett Fulton and Kalyna Procyk contributed to the reporting.
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.