Overall Rating	Gold - expired
Overall Score	70.78
Liaison	Amber Saxton
Submission Date	Sept. 1, 2017
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

George Mason University
OP-22: Water Use

Status

Score

Responsible Party

5.00 / 5.00

Mary Liang
Sustainability Analyst
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

Part 1

Total water use (potable and non-potable combined):

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Total water use	---	503,769.93 Cubic meters

Potable water use:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Potable water use	385,551.58 Cubic meters	503,769.93 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, 2015	June 30, 2016
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:

The 2005 water baseline was adopted based on its relation to the energy performance contracts completed by Siemens. The baseline is before the energy contracts were implemented.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site	6,216	3,840
Number of employees resident on-site	77	0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds	25	0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment	28,019	21,950
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty)	4,321.40	2,997.40
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education	816	0
Weighted campus users	25,241.55	19,670.55

Potable water use per weighted campus user:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user	15.27 Cubic meters	25.61 Cubic meters

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

40.36

Part 2

Gross floor area of building space:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Gross floor area	835,591.69 Gross square meters	465,977.85 Gross square meters

Potable water use per unit of floor area:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area	0.46 Cubic meters per square meter	1.08 Cubic meters per square meter

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

57.32

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	144.76 Hectares	103.19 Hectares

Total water use (potable + non-potable) per unit of vegetated grounds:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Total water use per unit of vegetated grounds	0 Cubic meters per hectare	4,881.74 Cubic meters per hectare

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:

In fiscal year 2016, George Mason University piloted a energy and water reduction campaign within Housing and Residence Life that included reminder prompts to turn off lights, set thermostats, and take shorter showers

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:

Water recovery and reuse systems are limited due to concerns of local governing authorities in certain locations and situations. George Mason University's Child Development Center Garden has an irrigation system from Water Management, Inc. The irrigation system utilizes rainwater to water the garden.

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):

Since 2005, Mason has initiated two energy savings performance contracts where heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment were upgraded along with lighting and water fixtures. Mason also follows Virginia state policy which states that all new buildings should be built to LEED Silver or equivalent. George Mason University's Design Information Manual also prioritizes water saving infrastructure when constructing new buildings.

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

http://green.gmu.edu/campussustainability/water.cfm

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Data is for FY16.

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.