Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.13
Liaison John Alejandro
Submission Date March 24, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of San Diego
OP-21: Water Use

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.00 / 6.00 Trey McDonald
Director of Sustainability and Energy Manager
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:
Extremely High

Part 1. Reduction in potable water use per person 

Total water withdrawal (potable and non-potable combined):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal 89,206,697 Gallons 107,329,043 Gallons

Potable water use:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use 89,206,697 Gallons 107,329,043 Gallons

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2018 June 30, 2019
Baseline Period July 1, 2009 June 1, 2010

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 baseline water consumption year is consistent with our Climate Action Plan, adopted in 2016.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users":
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,641 2,543
Number of employees resident on-site 20 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 8,328 6,897
Full-time equivalent of employees 2,116.40 1,737
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 377.70 122.30
Weighted campus users 8,215.28 7,019.53

Potable water use per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per weighted campus user 10,858.64 Gallons 15,290.07 Gallons

Percentage reduction in potable water use per weighted campus user from baseline:
28.98

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 3,330,288 Gross square feet 2,839,732 Gross square feet

Potable water use per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Potable water use per unit of floor area 26.79 Gallons per square foot 37.80 Gallons per square foot

Percentage reduction in potable water use per unit of floor area from baseline:
29.13

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

Area of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Vegetated grounds 35 Acres 35 Acres

Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds 2,548,762.77 Gallons per acre 3,066,544.09 Gallons per acre

Percentage reduction in total water withdrawal per unit of vegetated grounds from baseline:
16.88

Optional Fields 

A brief description of the institution's water-related behavior change initiatives:
Being located in Southern California, the issues of water use and water-related behavior are very pertinent to USD. As part of the Eco-Resident Certification program, USD students living on campus are educated about water conservation, taught water conservation tips, and encouraged to introduce those behaviors into their daily lives.

In 2016, a student written and produced video was created to highlight savings projects. This video remains part of the outreach campaign to reduce water consumption: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93GlE3IjBLg&feature=emb_logo

Finally, though it has not been quantified, a significant amount of lawn has been removed from campus and replaced with native and/or drought-tolerant plantings. This has led to a decrease in water consumed for irrigation.

A brief description of the institution's water recovery and reuse initiatives:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace plumbing fixtures, fittings, appliances, equipment, and systems with water-efficient alternatives:
Retrofits such as low-flow aerators on faucets, water efficient toilets, and low-flow shower-heads have been implemented throughout campus buildings to help realize water savings.

Website URL where information about the institution’s water conservation and efficiency efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.