Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.69
Liaison Deborah Steinberg
Submission Date Feb. 7, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Carnegie Mellon University
OP-22: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.19 / 4.00 Martin Altschul
Director of Strategic Facilities Initiatives of FMCS
Facilities Management Services
"---" 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:
Low

Part 1 

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use --- 123,907,000 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 135,363,000 Gallons 123,907,000 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
FY 2005 was selected to be consistent with earlier STARS reporting Baseline year. However, the building gross floor area was re-adjusted using performance year methodology. In 2018 CMU revised its approach to calculating square footage. Historically, CMU included in its square footage rented floor area for which we paid utility bills. We also used to calculate square footage using the the area the federal government calls “Net Usable Area." In an effort to standardize our approach to square footage reporting for various campus reports, we now include only the floor area of the buildings we own. We also have shifted to a gross square footage approach,(similar for USGBC and for AASHE).

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,935 3,744
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 11,263.60 8,894
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 4,816 4,032
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 132.60 106.50
Weighted campus users 12,944 10,550.63

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 10,457.59 Gallons 11,744.04 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
10.95

Part 2 

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 6,240,096 Gross square feet 5,391,617 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 21.69 Gallons per square foot 22.98 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
5.61

Part 3 

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 146 Acres 120 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 1,032,558.33 Gallons per acre

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

Optional Fields 

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:
To date, the university has focused on widespread installation of presence-sensing devices, flow controllers, and low-flow fixtures and fittings within buildings to reduce water consumption. As an integrated environmental strategy, we have also replaced many standard water fountains with water-refill stations in order to reduce the impact of bottled water use.

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
In 2016, CMU installed 275,000 gallons of rainwater collection and storage capacity below grade in the center of campus. Downspouts from surrounding buildings (Baker, Porter & Doherty Halls) feed the storage tanks, Collected water can be routed to the chiller plant for cooling tower make-up and can also serve our limited irrigation needs. Our Gates Hillman Computer Science Complex has a 10,000-gallon rainwater collection tank within the building. That water is used for flushing building toilets. Vegetated swales and tree plantings on hillside where that building is situated slow water flow. The Collaborative Innovation Center (CIC) has a 6,000-gallon rainwater storage tank to supply toilets & irrigation. Purnell Center for the Arts has a 10,000-gallon underground baffled stormwater cistern to slow water flow. In addition, Carnegie Mellon has over a dozen buildings with green roofs, (living or vegetated roofs), and several rain gardens. Because of abundant rainfall and old stormwater infrastructure in Pittsburgh, campus design and facilities personnel make considerable effort to preserve permeable area despite the increase in new buildings on campus.

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):
See above. Low and ultra-low urinals are used for all new construction and renovations. Other high efficiency fixtures such as touchless faucets are also used.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://www.cmu.edu/environment/energy-water/stormwater.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Baseline year building gross floor area was re-adjusted using performance year methodology.

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.