Green Scene

Last year the University of Calgary used approximately 1 million m3 of potable water, enough to fill 464 Olympic sized swimming pools. With a commitment to cut potable water consumption in half by 2012, students, staff and faculty are stepping up together in conserving this precious resource. 

Recognizing that significant savings in water and utility costs can be achieved through water conserving fixtures alone, the U of C continues to use water efficient toilets, urinals and faucets in all renovations and new projects. It is estimated that restrooms use 60-70 percent less water with the new fixtures. 

Furthermore, newer buildings such as the CDC and EEEL, which are currently under construction, are piloting the use of non-potable water for toilet and urinal flushing. This concept of using non-potable water for campus operations isn’t new to U of C. 

"A common misconception is that treated potable water is being used to irrigate the landscaped areas on campus when in fact we use process water supplied from the Central Heating and Cooling Plant," says Rana McLean, mechanical engineer for Facilities Development. 

Water from the Bow River is pumped up to the CHCP for use in the cooling system and then returned directly to the river with a portion being used for irrigation purposes on campus. The irrigation system will become more efficient as well. There are plans to have sprinkler controllers tied to U of C's weather station, which would measure the amount of precipitation and level of moisture in the ground and in turn activate sprinklers as needed. 

Finally, studies have shown that bottled water is no healthier than tap water and the amount of water to produce a plastic drinking bottle is three times the water in the bottle itself. To help make the switch from bottled water easy for campus members, the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Development are currently retrofitting approximately 40 water fountains across campus to accommodate water bottles. 

"U of C's contract with Pepsi expires in 2017, making the banning of water bottles very difficult. The retrofitted drinking fountains will help provide an alternative to students, staff and faculty and will be strategically located in the the busiest routes around campus, on main floors and close to vending machines," says McLean. 

To learn more about water savings initiatives on campus visit www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability