Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.65
Liaison Laura Bain
Submission Date Jan. 19, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Furman University
OP-22: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.67 / 5.00 Laura Bain
Associate Director of Sustainability Assessment
David E. Shi Center for Sustainability
"---" 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

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use --- 592,961.76 Cubic meters

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 448,862.56 Cubic meters 435,700.69 Cubic meters

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
2018 Note: Updated baseline data. After an extensive review of current and historical water use, it was decided that our previously reported baseline numbers were not reflective of total campus water use (likely did not include non-potable irrigation from the main lake and non-potable irrigation from the Golf Course lake). Using historical water bills for potable water use and records from our pump house readings for non-potable lake irrigation, we have meticulously recalculated the baseline year (Fiscal year July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005) and have reported these more accurate numbers with this submission. We used the same method to calculate current performance year numbers and will continue this practice moving forward.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site
Number of employees resident on-site
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty)
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education
Weighted campus users

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 128.27 Cubic meters 126.32 Cubic meters

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

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area 226,863.09 Gross square meters 143,836.61 Gross square meters

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 1.98 Cubic meters per square meter 3.03 Cubic meters per square meter

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

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in total water use per acre/hectare of vegetated grounds):
No

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 255.36 Hectares 301.49 Hectares

Total water use (potable + non-potable) per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water use per unit of vegetated grounds Cubic meters per hectare 1,966.77 Cubic meters per hectare

Percentage reduction in total water use per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
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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:
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A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
One of our biggest projects is the closed-loop solar/aquatic waste water treatment system in the Charles Townes Science Center. The living machine uses natural processes in a series of artificial tidal pools to clean up to 5,000 gal/day of the building’s waste water. It is then re-circulated into the building as grey water, which can be used for non-potable water demands like flushing toilets.

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):
We continue to use Furman Lake to supplement irrigation on campus, reducing our potable water irrigation to 40%.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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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.