Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.76
Liaison Allison Jenks
Submission Date Jan. 26, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

New Mexico State University
OP-22: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.92 / 6.00 Jack Kirby
Assistant Director
Env. Health and Safety
"---" 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’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Extremely High

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use --- 866,198,980 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 575,444,298 Gallons 580,799,014 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2015 Dec. 31, 2015
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2011 Dec. 31, 2011

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

We used 2011 for the baseline year because this is the first year we did the STARS report.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,892 4,708
Number of employees resident on-site 18 18
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 131 202
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 18,255 20,936
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 3,514 3,854
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,271 1,427
Weighted campus users 16,482 18,905.75

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 34,913.50 Gallons 30,720.76 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 5,879,746 Gross square feet 5,363,804 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 97.87 Gallons per square foot 108.28 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
9.62

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in total water use per acre/hectare of vegetated grounds):
Yes

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 250 Acres 250 Acres

Total water use (potable + non-potable) per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use per unit of vegetated grounds 0 Gallons per acre 3,464,795.92 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water use per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
---

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:

in 2014 we did the Campus Conservation Nationals. Housing and Residential Life, the Office of Sustainability, and the Facilities and Services Utilities Director all participated. Part of the competition was water reduction as well as energy reduction.


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

Our campus is on a hill that starts at the Organ Mountains to the east and the Rio Grande river to the west. We have many retention ponds that capture the water, areas along sidewalks that divert the water into plantings, and curb cuts in our parking lots that allow the water to run off into landscaped areas.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives (e.g. building retrofits):

The Facilities and Services department has initiatives and policies where plumbing fixtures and mechanical fittings, as well as our steam system all use the most efficient fixtures possible. Through our Energy Services Agreement thirty buildings were retrofitted with fittings that helped with water efficiency. We also have a program where we are re-insulating all the steam pipes in our underground system. When any old plumbing fixture breaks and needs to be either replaced or repaired, it is policy that we use low-flow fixtures.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Baseline year for water use is 2011
Baseline year for vegetated grounds is 2015 (at 250 acres)
NMSU 2014 Water System Master Plan Update: http://bit.ly/2a198RQ


Baseline year for water use is 2011
Baseline year for vegetated grounds is 2015 (at 250 acres)
NMSU 2014 Water System Master Plan Update: http://bit.ly/2a198RQ

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.