Water Efficiency Strategies
2014
Overview
 Introduction
 Terminology
“On average, 75 percent of the state’s average
annual precipitation occurs between November
and March, with half of it occurring between
December and February” (CA Water Board,
2012).
 Currently
 Water Conservation Efforts
 Results
 Risks and Exposure
Currently we are at 20% of average
 Q&A
precipitation… trends suggest that by
the close of the precipitation period in
March we will be see the driest year on
record in the state!
Introduction
Moral of the
Story:
Fresh water
is rare and
precious.
Introduction
Terminology
 CCF: Measure of liquid volume referring to one
hundred cubic feet or 748 gallons.
 Drought: “There are many ways that drought can be
defined. Some ways can be quantified, such as
meteorological drought (period of below normal
precipitation) or hydrologic drought (period of below
average runoff), others are more qualitative in nature
(shortage of water for a particular purpose). There is
no universal definition of when a drought begins or
ends. Drought is a gradual phenomenon” (CA Water
Board, 2012).
Terminology: State of Emergency
 State agencies, led by the Department of Water
Resources, will execute a statewide water conservation
campaign to make all Californians aware of the
drought and encourage personal actions to reduce
water usage. This campaign will be built on the
existing Save Our Water campaign
(www.saveourh20.org) and will coordinate with local
water agencies. This campaign will call on Californians
to reduce their water usage by 20 percent.
Terminology: State of Emergency
 Local urban water suppliers and municipalities are
called upon to implement their local water shortage
contingency plans immediately in order to avoid or
forestall outright restrictions that could become
necessary later in the drought season. Local water
agencies should also update their legally required
urban and agricultural water management plans,
which help plan for extended drought conditions. The
Department of Water Resources will make the status
of these updates publicly available.
Terminology: State of Emergency
 State agencies, led by the Department of General
Services, will immediately implement water use
reduction plans for all state facilities. These plans will
include immediate water conservation actions, and a
moratorium will be placed on new, non-essential
landscaping projects at state facilities and on state
highways and roads.
Currently: Water Usage
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
CAN
CSM + DO
50,000
SKY
Total
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
FY06-07
FY07-08
FY08-09
FY09-10
FY10-11
FY11-12
FY12-13
Currently: Gross Square Footage
1,800,000
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
CSM/District Office
1,000,000
Cañada
Skyline *
800,000
Total
600,000
400,000
200,000
-
2000
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011/2012
Currently: Water Charges
$700,000
$600,000
$500,000
$400,000
CAN
CSM + DO
SKY
$300,000
Total
$200,000
$100,000
$FY06-07
FY07-08
FY08-09
FY09-10
FY10-11
FY11-12
FY12-13
Currently: Cost Per CCF*
Campus
Provider
Meters Per
Campus
2013 Costs per
CCF
Cañada College
Redwood City
1
$6.63
College of San
Mateo
Cal Water
1
$4.85
Skyline College
City of San Bruno
4
$6.28
Average
*Does not include applicable surcharges
$5.92
Currently: Cost Per CCF*
$10.00
$9.00
$8.00
$7.00
$6.00
CAN
$5.00
CSM
SKY
$4.00
$3.00
$2.00
$1.00
$0.00
FY02-03
FY03-04
FY04-05
FY05-06
*Includes all applicable surcharges
FY06-07
FY07-08
FY08-09
FY09-10
FY10-11
FY11-12
FY12-13
Water Conservation: Process in Summary
Leverage Existing
practices, policies,
procedures and
technologies
Measure and Verify
Water Reductions and
strive for continuous
improvement
Commission
Irrigation Systems and
Conduct Water Audits
Engage Students, Staff
and Community to
reduce water usage on
and off campus
Currently: In Summary
 The District spends over $600,000 annually on water
 ~50-60% goes to irrigation
 The remainder is used for filling and maintaining
fountains and pools, flushing toilets, and operating
showers, labs, and drinking fountains
 The Cost of water is rising
 Many steps can be taken to increase efficiency
 These steps can accomplish student/community
engagement goals, be integrated into various class
curriculums, and help fulfill our commitment to
operational excellence
Established Water Conservation Efforts
 Installation of Artificial Turf
 Installation of Weather-Based Irrigation Systems
 Planting of Native and Drought Tolerant species
 Installation of Dual flush and low flow toilets
 Installation of low-flow faucets
 Created Sustainability Plans with Water Efficiency
Goals
Immediate Water Conservation Efforts
 Reduced Irrigation Times at All three campuses by
25%
 Posted signage and alerted the campus communities
through various channels
 Identified key locations for metering devices
 Identified key strategies for further reductions
 Cover Pools Regularly
 Shut down Fountains
 Sub meter irrigation and identify key watering issues
Next Water Conservation Efforts
 Turn off fountains
 Drain fountains where infrastructure will not be
affected
 Increase outreach and communication efforts
 Comprehensive Irrigation Audits
 Commission existing systems
 Design for future drought conditions
 Landscape
 Buildings
 Curriculum
Expected Results
 Minimum 25% reduction in water usage District-Wide
 Increased awareness and broader stakeholder
engagement
 Established Water Efficiency benchmarks
 Improved access to information of usage increases and
related costs/risks exposure
Risks and Exposure
 Mandated Water Rationing
 Effects on Campus Aesthetics


Fountains and Other “Non-essential” features
Lawn, tree and shrub health impacts or death
 Long Term water shortages
 Limitations on water supply to campus


Pools
Water-cooled systems
Question & Answer
www.smccd.edu/facilities
José D. Nuñez, LEED AP
Vice Chancellor
Facilities Planning, Maintenance & Operations
(650) 574-6512
nunezj@smccd.edu
Karen Powell
Director of Maintenance and Operations
Facilities Planning, Maintenance & Operations
(650) 358-6808
PowellK@smccd.edu
Joe Fullerton, LEED AP
Energy Management Coordinator
Facilities Planning, Maintenance & Operations
(650) 358-6848
Fullertonj@smccd.edu