| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 45.25 |
| Liaison | David Tedder |
| Submission Date | Oct. 16, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Kentucky
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.44 / 4.00 |
Britney
Thompson Energy Engineer Campus Utilities |
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 | 647,036,231 Gallons | 660,453,130 Gallons |
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 647,036,231 Gallons | 660,453,130 Gallons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 6,227 | 6,126 |
| Number of residential employees | 200 | 200 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 1,019 | 857 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 27,634 | 24,162 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 12,430 | 11,219 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 0 | 0 |
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 19,489,436 Square feet | 16,065,889 Square feet |
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 436.48 Acres | 458.30 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, 2008 | Dec. 31, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
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Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year: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:
The grounds department takes advantage of blowdown water from the campus cooling towers and uses that water for irrigation, etc, when it is available.
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
Most water service on campus is metered and billed directly by the local water utility. For multiple locations, submeters read by the University are installed to monitor irrigation or departmental usage. Water submeters have recently started being pulled into the campus building automation system for live meter monitoring.
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
A majority of main campus facilities were retrofitted with low flow plumbing and toilet fixtures as part of the 2009 Energy Performance Project. No large-scale upgrades have been conducted since, but are done on a small scale when fixtures are replaced.
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
In 2011 the University Cooling Plants implemented new water quality chemical testing and monitoring to allow more recirculation of cooling tower water before disposal. The annual water savings is approximately 41 million gallons annually, saving $216,000 in water, sewer, and operational expenses. The University received the GE Water and Power "Return on Environment" for this work in 2012.
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
The University has recently constructed two facilities with rooftop garden space: UK Healthcare Pavilion A Hospital and Champions Court 1 Dorm. Additionally, multiple rain gardens have been constructed around campus to mitigate stormwater runoff.
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
There is currently no technology employed but will be reviewed with future irrigation installations.
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
The University is undergoing a large FEMA Funded Stormwater Mitigation project in the Alumni Drive corridor, where underground storage tanks have been installed and a stream bed is being restored.
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Jerry Hart served as a resource on many of the landscape-based questions.
Jerry Hart served as a resource on many of the landscape-based questions.
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.