Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.19
Liaison Ian Johnson
Submission Date July 14, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Colorado College
OP-22: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.00 / 5.00 Michael Brubaker
Campus Operations & Plant Manger
Facilities 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:
Medium to High

Part 1 

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use 57,223,629.04 Gallons 99,862,583.27 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 34,564,007.11 Gallons 49,859,040.58 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016
Baseline Year July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

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:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,561 1,542
Number of employees resident on-site 7 25
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 2,277 1,978.50
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 782 626
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,686.25 2,345.13

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 34,564,007.11 Gallons 49,859,040.58 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
39.48

Part 2 

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 2,034,519 Gross square feet 2,002,259.56 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 416.95 Gallons per square foot 611.14 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
31.78

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 38.70 Acres 35.51 Acres

Total water use (potable + non-potable) per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use per unit of vegetated grounds 158,090,800.73 Gallons per acre 300,655,386.04 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water use per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
47.42

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:
Colorado College has instituted specific staff training as well as the installation of sub meters on large water consuming infrastructure such as the pool, cooling structures, etc. Building automation is used to identify larger than normal fill volumes.

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
Landscape zones are irrigated with City of Colorado Springs-supplied non-potable water, a combination of raw water from a local reservoir and treated domestic wastewater. Additionally, CC has started recovering grey water in the central heating plant to condense flu gas and recover heat.

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):
In general, Colorado College has phased in efficient water fixtures as older ones have retired. Fixture retrofits have included outfitting existing faucets with low-flow faucet aerators, replacing shower heads, replacing tank and flush valve toilets with low-flow models, and upgrading urinals to current standards. In 2012, while renovating Worner Student Center and Rastall Dining Hall, the College replaced the existing dishwasher with a more efficient one and retrofitted toilets and urinals with low-flow units. Recently, the Facilities department updated the Bemis shower fixtures to be more efficient.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/facilities/energy-management/guidelines-for-sustainability.dot?host_id=e19a1071-63ad-45c4-a9b1-0f5cd4869309

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.