| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 57.39 |
| Liaison | Tina Woolston |
| Submission Date | Nov. 12, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Tufts University
OP-26: Water Use
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.77 / 5.00 |
Betsy
Isenstein Director of Facilities Technical Services Facilities Services |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Level of water risk for the institution’s main campus:
High
Total water use (potable and non-potable combined)::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total water use | 121,867,438 Gallons | 141,549,379 Gallons |
None
Potable water use::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Potable water use | 121,867,438 Gallons | 141,549,379 Gallons |
None
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users"::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 3,519 | 3,491 |
| Number of residential employees | 11 | 9 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 10,461.50 | 9,113 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 4,513.24 | 3,481 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 31 | 0 |
None
Gross floor area of building space::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area | 4,777,135 Square feet | 4,028,442 Square feet |
None
Area of vegetated grounds::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Vegetated grounds | 694 Acres | 694 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, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
None
A brief description of when and why the water use baseline was adopted:
The baseline year is 2005.
None
Water recycled/reused on campus, performance year:
---
None
Recycled/reused water withdrawn from off-campus sources, performance year:
0
Gallons
None
A brief description of any water recovery and reuse systems employed by the institution:
---
None
A brief description of any water metering and management systems employed by the institution:
Water is metered at each building at Tufts University.
None
A brief description of any building retrofit practices employed by the institution, e.g. to install high efficiency plumbing fixtures and fittings:
Each summer, residence hall bathrooms are renovated. Dual flush or low flow toilets are installed, and low-flow showerheads are used.
Summer 2014: Hodgdon Hall
Summer 2013: Wren and Haskell Halls
Summer 2012: 13 bathrooms in South Hall
Summer 2011: Lewis Hall
Summer 2010: Hill and West Halls
Summer 2009: Carmichael Hall
Summer 2008: Metcalf Hall
None
A brief description of any policies or programs employed by the institution to replace appliances, equipment and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Residence hall bathrooms are renovated comprehensively. Low flow or dual flush fixtures are installed as indicated above.
Front load washing machines are used almost exclusively in residence hall laundry rooms.
Dining Services has implemented water reduction programs by switching to trayless dining and by installing an extremely low water consuming dishwasher in Dewick, one of the main dining halls.
None
A brief description of any water-efficient landscape design practices employed by the institution (e.g. xeriscaping):
When possible, Grounds selects perennials that require less water and cut down on mowing.
When 520 Boston Avenue (Facilities building) was renovated, no irrigation system was installed. Instead, the landscape designer and grounds keeper selected drought-tolerant plantings to accommodate the lack of irrigation on site. Additionally, two rain barrels were installed to collect roof runoff and redirect it to the plantings in front of the building.
Two deep wells began operating in Alumni Field in 2013, which irrigate the athletic field and replace the need to use potable water.
None
A brief description of any weather-informed irrigation technologies employed by the institution:
All irrigation systems on the Medford/Somerville campus have rain sensors but no weather predictive abilities and no centralized control.
None
A brief description of other water conservation and efficiency strategies employed by the institution:
500 1.75 GPM showerheads were installed on the Medford/Somerville campus during the fall of 2014.
ShowerStart thermostatic shut-off valves are being tested in a small residence hall. This technology saves hot water that is typically wasted during shower water warm up time.
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:
Much of Tufts' water conservation efforts took place prior to 2005 and therefore are not captured using this metric.
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.