Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.24
Liaison Rob Andrejewski
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Richmond
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Rob Andrejewski
Director of Sustainability
Office 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 Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas:
Low to Medium

Part 1. Reduction in potable water use per person 

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 50,439,136 Gallons 90,041,996 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 50,439,136 Gallons 90,041,996 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2020 June 30, 2021
Baseline Period July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

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:
Baseline matches 2008 baseline year for water comparisons.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,721 2,700
Number of employees resident on-site 9 9
Number of other individuals resident on-site 3 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 3,636.67 3,732
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,639.33 1,460
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 4,642.50 4,571.25

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 10,864.65 Gallons 19,697.46 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
44.84

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 2,816,909 Gross square feet 2,370,813 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 17.91 Gallons per square foot 37.98 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
52.85

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

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 264 Acres 264 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 191,057.33 Gallons per acre 341,068.17 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
43.98

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
For nearly a decade, the University has installed water bottle refill stations whenever an upgrade to a drinking fountain is needed or a renovation occurs. Every residence hall and nearly all buildings have at least one bottle fill station.

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
Westhampton Lake is a source of irrigation for the west side of campus, most often used on the baseball field.

Preliminary designs for a water reclamation and reuse facility are under way.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Have extensively used low-flow toilets, flush valves, showers/heads, lavatory faucets, pint-flush urinals, in retrofits and new construction (meets LEED Silver or higher).

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:
Reduction in water usage can be attributed to a lack of residential students for the first two months of the fiscal year and a majority of non-front-line staff working from home for much of FY2021.

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.