Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 57.85
Liaison Chad Carwein
Submission Date Jan. 17, 2023

STARS v2.2

East Carolina University
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.65 / 4.00 Chad Carwein
University Sustainability Manager
HSC 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 Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Low to Medium

Part 1. Reduction in potable water use per person 

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 905,366.71 Cubic meters 1,101,270.83 Cubic meters

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 692,536.97 Cubic meters 930,048.74 Cubic meters

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2021 June 30, 2022
Baseline Period July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018

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:
The baseline, Fiscal Year 2018, was chosen based on the availability of past figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users" and the Withdrawals of Non-Potable Water.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 5,030 5,712
Number of employees resident on-site 20 20
Number of other individuals resident on-site 10 10
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 24,758 26,229.75
Full-time equivalent of employees 7,161 5,673
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 5,498 4,414
Weighted campus users 21,088.25 22,059.56

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 32.84 Cubic meters 42.16 Cubic meters

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
22.11

Part 2. Reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 708,957.84 Gross square meters 645,049.78 Gross square meters

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 0.98 Cubic meters per square meter 1.44 Cubic meters per square meter

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
32.25

Part 3. Reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 446.21 Hectares 340.58 Hectares

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 2,029.03 Cubic meters per hectare 3,233.49 Cubic meters per hectare

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
37.25

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
We have completed the process of placing stickers near bathroom and kitchen sinks that say, "Hear a drip, give us a tip" with the "Every drop counts" logo. Other than that, we have not included water conservation in our dorm energy challenges.

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
All of the water collected in cisterns on Main and Health Sciences Campuses is used by grounds to water plants and provide irrigation where there is no fixed system in place. The only facility owned and operated by ECU that reuses water inside the building is the water capture system at the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanshese, NC on Roanoke Island. This system cycles water back through the plumbing to flush toilets.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Faucet aerators have been installed on the majority of sinks across campus. The two main campus cafeterias have water efficient dishwashers. Low-flow toilets and showerheads have been installed in new and recently renovated residence halls. A rigorous leak detection and repair program has been in place for several years. There are over 200 water bottle refill stations on both campuses, which have kept more than 15 million plastic bottles out of landfills.

Website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data Sources:

Potable Water (both campuses) - Rebecca Bizzell, Facilities Administration

Non-Potable Water (Main Campus): 24,024,932 - Chris Brown, HVAC Controls Supervisor

Non-Potable Water (Health Sciences campus) - Mike Rowe, Assistant Director

Part 3 Notes:

FY 22 Total Campus Area = 2214.8 - 537 (millennial campus) = 1,677.8 acres

FY 22 Building Footprint Area = 175.2 acres

FY 22 Non-Permeable Area = 400 acres

FY 22 Vegetated Area = 1,677.8 - 175.2 - 400 = 1008.7 acres


FY 19 Total Campus Area = 1,580 acres

FY 19 Building Footprint Area = 171.3 acres

FY 19 Non-Permeable Area = 400 acres

FY 19 Vegetated Area = 1,580 - 171.3 - 400 = 1008.7 acres


FY 18 Total Campus Area = 1401 acres

FY 18 Building Footprint Area = 159.4 acres

FY 18 Non-Permeable Area = 400 acres

Vegetated Area = 1401 - 159.4 - 400 = 841.6 acres

2022 TOTAL CAMPUS AREA: 2,214.8 (SOURCE: Dawn Pilgrim-Dunn)
Main Campus = 396.36 acres
Health Science Campus = 214 acres
West Research Campus = 631 acres
North Rec Fields = 129 acres
Coastal Studies Institute = 199.91 acres
Otter Creek Natural Area = 70 acres
Greenhouse site = 6.7 acres
CSLC = 14.8 acres
DSLC = 16 acres
Millennial Campus = 537

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.