| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.05 |
| Liaison | Yumiko Jakobcic |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Grand Valley State University
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.53 / 3.00 |
Yumiko
Jakobcic Campus Sustainability Coordinator Office of Sustainability Practices |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
Low to Medium
Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water use | 144,712,028 Gallons | 164,141,690 Gallons |
None
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 102,106,036 Gallons | 119,256,118 Gallons |
None
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 5,997 | 5,662 |
| Number of residential employees | 24 | 25 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 23,889.50 | 23,674 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,372 | 1,879 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 676 | 371.50 |
None
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 5,320,064 Square feet | 4,189,524 Square feet |
None
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 616 Acres | 445 Acres |
None
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2013 | June 30, 2014 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
None
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
Baseline was selected when the University first started reporting and was chosen as a reasonable starting point
None
Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
---
None
Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
---
None
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
Stormwater is retained and filtered through 4 settling ponds which then feed excess water into the pond used for irrigation of the golf course, practice football fields and some lawn areas on campus.
None
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
All irrigation water used is metered and total use rates have been reported to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality yearly for the life of the golf course. Any supplemental water needed to maintain the pond levels needed for irrigation is reported as well.
None
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
The University has employed a number of water saving methods in the form of plumbing fixtures and fittings. Low flow water closets, urinals and shower heads have been installed in new and existing buildings. Waterless urinals have also been installed in some buildings. Water faucets with built-in motion sensors have also been installed.
None
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
The University has a standard practice to purchase appliances that are Energy Star rated. This includes clothes washers, water closets, urinals, faucets and dishwashers. For example, in Housing units the University utilizes a program of updating washing machines periodically with more technically advanced equipment so as to reduce operating cost and water consumption. The University adopted a policy of "trayless" dining facilities which saves energy and water from the task of cleaning the trays. HVAC equipment, such as humidifiers, that atomize the water more uniformly are a preference since they use less water while providing a better humidification.
None
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
Drought tolerant plants are selected, for landscaped and/or natural areas on campus, that receive little or no landscape irrigation. Specific plant types used for this type of landscaping would include (but not be limited to) ornamental grasses, perennial plants such as sedum, black eyed susan, purple coneflower, hosta, iris, liatris, peony, veronica, vinca, geranium, agastache, and tree species such as locust, ornamental pear, pin oak, tulip tree, zelkova, and European beech.
None
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
Rain guage will shut down irrigation in a rain event.
None
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
The Meadows golf course employs remote sensing equipment to report moisture levels. These readings are then used to set irrigation levels needed to maintain the turf. These levels are consistently less than normal Evapotranspiration Rates which are calculated daily.
None
The website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---
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.