Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.75
Liaison Keaton Schrank
Submission Date April 26, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Westminster University - Utah
OP-26: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.55 / 5.00 Jeri Gravlin
Sustainability Fellow
Environmental Center
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
High

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use 23,847,898 Gallons 29,026,661.76 Gallons

Potable water use::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 23,847,898 Gallons 29,026,661.76 Gallons

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of residential students 691 606
Number of residential employees 6 5
Number of in-patient hospital beds 0 0
Full-time equivalent enrollment 2,789 2,688
Full-time equivalent of employees 476 430
Full-time equivalent of distance education students 0 0

Gross floor area of building space::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 1,012,646 Square feet 854,418 Square feet

Area of vegetated grounds::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 15 Acres 12.33 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:

Baseline is the performance year used in the last STARS assessment and we are recording the change from then until now.


Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
1,400 Gallons

Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
0 Gallons

A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:

The Meldrum Science Center is equipped with a 200 gallon chilled water reservoir that recycles chilled water through laboratory spaces, as well as a 500 gallon recirculating water system for all chemical and biological systems in which there is an input and output of water that supplements cistern capture.


A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:

All buildings are individually metered.
Westminster's LEED Platinum Science Center has real time water consumption metering for each floor.


A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:

All plumbing fixtures in Meldrum conserve water, including dual flush toilets, one pint urinals, and sensors at all restroom sinks. Converse Hall contains a waterless urinal. Almost all campus toilets are 1.6 gallons or less and nearly all faucets and showerheads have been retrofitted with low flow options.


A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:

No policies are in place, but it is standard practice to choose the most water efficient options possible.


A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):

Westminster uses native and water-wise plants in many of its landscapes around campus. One garden, a residential xeriscape, serves as a public demonstration of xeriscaping principles. The grounds staff regularly checks sprinkler systems to make sure they are performing correctly. Drip irrigation is used in some locations. Mulch is used extensively to reduce evaporation.


A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:

Several campus irrigation systems use weather data and soil moisture sensors to adjust amount of water applied to landscapes.


A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:

In a renovation of our central commons, a large water wasting fountain was replaced with small fountains that use much less water.


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.