Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.09
Liaison Elizabeth Drake
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

Swarthmore College
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.35 / 4.00 Hannah Ulloa
Climate Action Manager
Office of 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 Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Low

Part 1. Reduction in potable water use per person 

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 28,553,762 Gallons 35,554,200 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 25,553,762 Gallons 29,123,145 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period Jan. 1, 2021 Dec. 31, 2021
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2005 Dec. 31, 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:
2005 was the year of maximum energy use on campus and the baseline year for the previous STARS filing in 2017.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,548 1,479
Number of employees resident on-site 13 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 9 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,689 1,474
Full-time equivalent of employees 908 683
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,347 1,987.50

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 10,887.84 Gallons 14,653.15 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
25.70

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 1,827,664 Gross square feet 1,444,010 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 13.98 Gallons per square foot 20.17 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
30.67

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

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 384 Acres 384 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 74,358.76 Gallons per acre 92,589.06 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
19.69

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
---

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
A cistern was installed to store the rain water from our Science Center roof areas. That water is used for the gardens around the Science Center. A cistern was also installed at the Wister Center.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
All new buildings, especially Singer Hall, have low-flow fixtures in bathrooms and laboratories. A vacuum pump system has eliminated water siphon use on campus. All dorm shower heads were replaced with water-efficient alternatives in 2017.

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:
Info from Jim Adams and from IR Factbooks for 2021 and 2005.

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.