Water
GOAL: 10% reduction in consumption per square foot by 2030
Goal Update
System-Wide Baseline (2020): 45.31 gal/sq ft
Current (Q2 2023): 56.86 gal/sq ft (25% increase)
Goal (2030): 40.78 gal/sq ft (10% reduction)
Recent Successes
Smart Irrigation Systems
Smart irrigation systems have been installed at some key locations across the system, allowing for irrigation to be scheduled according to weather conditions. This helps us avoid running sprinklers while it’s raining, conserving water and energy.
Upcoming Efforts
Smart Irrigation Systems
We will continue to deploy smart irrigation technologies across locations.
Chiller Upgrades
Mechanical upgrades will include more efficient chillers, which should also result in a decrease in water needed to cool our spaces.
Native Landscaping
Exploring landscaping that incorporates native and drought-tolerant plant varieties reduces the need for irrigation and provides other environmental benefits, such as pollinator habitat and carbon sequestration.
Water Increases
Overall, MHS’s water use has increased year over year, but so too has the impacts of warmer summers that are starting earlier in the year. This has necessitated the early start of campus irrigation systems and driven up demand for building cooling, resulting in higher water demands.