UC Ir vine Water Action Plan 2013 2 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................4 INTRODUCTION...................................................................6 BACKGROUND......................................................................7 MAIN CAMPUS SUPPLY......................................................9 MEDICAL CENTER SUPPLY..................................................9 UC SUSTAINABILITY POLICY.............................................10 RESEARCH AND EDUCATION...........................................11 WATER USE.......................................................................13 MAIN CAMPUSPOTABLE.................................................13 MEDICAL CENTER - POTABLE..........................................14 RECYCLED WATER...........................................................14 STORMWATER................................................................15 BLACKWATER..................................................................15 GRAYWATER...................................................................15 WATER AND ENERGY......................................................15 POTABLE REDUCTIONS..................................................16 RECLAIMED REDUCTIONS..............................................16 REDUCING UCI’S WATER FOOTPRINT................................17 MAIN CAMPUS GOALS...................................................17 MEDICAL CENTER GOAL.................................................17 OPPORTUNITIES...............................................................18 OVERALL.........................................................................18 POTABLE INDOOR...........................................................18 LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION................................................20 PUBLIC EDUCATION & OUTREACH.....................................22 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT..........................................23 PROJECT LIST.....................................................................26 REFERENCES......................................................................28 WATER ACTION PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE The UC Irvine Water Ac on Plan (WAP) provides a roadmap for managing water resources at the UCI campus and medical center. The WAP takes a watershed approach to address water resource goals, planning strategies, and project opportuni es in support of UC Policy on Sustainable Opera ons requirements, UC Irvine sustainable water system goals, and regulatory requirements. The WAP examines exis ng water supply, demand, water conserva ons and water quality accomplishments to date, and strategies for achieving water use and water quality goals. Key goals include 20% potable water use reduc ons by 2020, a stretch goal of striving to achieve a 30% potable water reduc on by 2020, a 30% reduc on in irriga on water use, and con nued improvement in the treatment of stormwater and other runoff from campus facili es and opera ons. The WAP iden fies an array of strategies for WATER ACTION PLAN accomplishing UC Irvine’s water use and water quality goals. This includes systems level planning and monitoring of water use and water quality to provide ac onable water metrics, iden fying and pursuing a campuswide range of water efficiency and conserva on measures for exis ng opera ons and systems, establishing monitoring systems to iden fy future opportuni es, and ensuring that new construc on and major renova on projects implement state-of-the-art water conserva on and water quality measures. The WAP project list contains a comprehensive list of water use and treatment measures for the campus and Medical Center. The financial and technical feasibility of all iden fied projects will be monitored through an annual review process and tracking systems established in the WAP will iden fy addi onal project opportuni es throughout the WAP 2020 planning horizon. 5 INTRODUCTION California’s water future is uncertain. Increasing demand from a growing popula on, urbaniza on, likely periods of drought, and the poten al for supply disrup ons resul ng from climate change will be a growing challenge. The California Department of Water Resources predicts climate change to have a profound impact on state water resources, as precipita on will most likely shi from snow to rain, changing how and when water is stored. Climate change may result in the following effects to California’s water supply: 1. Snowpack in the Sierra Nevada could be reduced by 40% by 2050 2. Rising sea levels could increase salinity of fresh water sources such as the Sacramento delta 3. Extended and severe droughts both locally and statewide As popula on growth and climate change impact water supply, urbaniza on con nues to threaten the quality of water in local streams, rivers, and ocean. Sediment, toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and bacteria contained in runoff, pose a risk to the ecological health of adjacent watersheds. The UC Irvine main campus is located within the Upper Newport Bay Watershed, receiving waters serving as riparian and estuarine habitat for sensi ve na ve plant communi es and wildlife species. UC Irvine’s projected growth in popula on and program will con nue to increase demand on water supply. The main campus is projected to reach a total on-campus popula on of 55,750 students, faculty, and staff by 2025. Similarly the UC Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC), located in the City of Orange is projec ng major growth in its services. In addi on to its statewide effects on supply, water use is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in California. Water accounts for 20% of the state’s electricity use and 30% of natural gas use. As a result of this significant impact on California’s GHG reduc on goals, reducing water-related energy consump on is an increasingly important factor in water conserva on efforts. As Orange County’s public research university, stewards of over 1,700 acres of land resource, and a large consumer of potable and reclaimed water, UC Irvine embraces its leadership role in reducing water use including the embedded energy, trea ng stormwater and runoff, stewardship of our local watershed, and serving as a living laboratory for research and demonstra on in urban water issues. This Water Ac on Plan (WAP) provides strategies for the main campus and medical center to address water conserva on, increasing costs, and watershed management. The WAP will serve as a roadmap for reducing water use and establish strategies for trea ng stormwater and urban runoff. While UC Irvine’s water supply is currently secure due to long term commitments from the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) to meet projected water demand through the year 2025 and beyond, the factors outlined above could influence the security of State and regional water supplies. Although the likelihood of severe water shortages to the campus and medical center is currently considered small, the WAP recognizes such scenarios are possible. Water has historically been viewed as a rela vely inexpensive resource. However, costs have increased and will only con nue to grow as water scarcity intensifies. In the past nine years the cost of potable water provided to UC Irvine by the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) has increased by 43% and the cost of reclaimed water has increased by 51%. 6 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE BACKGROUND UC Irvine plays an important role in protec ng its watersheds, both at the main campus and medical center, from water quality impacts. The UC Irvine main campus is part of the San Diego Creek sub-watershed within the 152 square-mile Newport Bay watershed. The campus is located adjacent to San Diego Creek, a tributary of Upper Newport Bay, near the terminus of the Newport Bay watershed. The Newport Bay Watershed is bounded to the east by the San Ana Mountains, the Los Angeles basin to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west (See Figure 1). The 1,475 acre main campus consists of an urbanized core including 5.1 million square feet of instruc onal and research space, student housing, approximately 350 acres of irrigated landscape, and 415 acres of nonirrigated open space. FIGURE 1: SAN DIEGO CREEK WATERSHED NEWPORT BAY WATERSHED SAN DIEGO CREEK UPPER NEWPORT BAY UCI CAMPUS NEWPORT BAY WATER ACTION PLAN 7 Figure 2 shows the buildings and landscaped areas for the main campus in which fall the scope of the WAP on. Privately owned and managed faculty housing (University Hills) and student housing (ACC) are currently not included in the WAP as water use in these facili es is not managed by UC Irvine. The medical center is located in the Santa Ana River watershed. The Santa Ana River’s headwaters are within the San Bernardino Mountains. The river flows approximately 75 miles to the Pacific Ocean outle ng between Hun ngton Beach and Costa Mesa. Figure 3 shows the boundary of the medical center and the adjacent Santa Ana River. FIGURE 2: MAIN CAMPUS WATER 8 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE MAIN CAMPUS SUPPLY MEDICAL CENTER SUPPLY UC Irvine receives both potable and reclaimed water from the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD). Potable water within IRWD is supplied primarily through local groundwater wells. Local wells account for 31% of IRWD’s total supply while local surface water accounts for 4%. Approximately 49% of IRWD’s supply is purchased through the Municipal Water District of Orange County, which purchases water from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). MWD imports water through both the 444 mile aqueduct of the State Water Project and the 242 mile aqueduct of the Colorado River Project. IRWD produces recycled water by capturing and trea ng blackwater for non-potable uses. Recycled (or reclaimed) water accounts for 17% of the total water supply for IRWD. Medical Center potable water is supplied by the City of Orange Water Department which acquires water from three sources. Roughly 40 to 50 percent is well water pumped from the North Orange County aquifer which the Orange County Water District manages and the City of Orange chlorinates. Roughly 40 to 60 percent is purchased finished water supplied by MWD’s Robert B Diemer Treatment Plant in Yorba Linda and is a blend of Colorado River water and State Water Project water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. A small percent of water is surface water supplied by the Serrano Water District in Villa Park and taken from Irvine Lake. CHAPMAN AVE. LEWIS ST. THE CIT Y DR. UCIMC SANTA A NA RI 5 VER FIGURE 3: MEDICAL CENTER 57 ORANGE 5 22 WATER ACTION PLAN N.T.S. 9 UC SUSTAINABILITY POLICY This WAP has been developed in accordance with the 2012 University of California (UC) Sustainable Water Systems Policy. The policy outlines water conserva on and watershed management policy and goals for all ten UC campuses and five medical centers which support California’s Statewide Water Conserva on Act of 2009. Sustainable Water Systems With the overall intent of achieving sustainable water systems and demonstra ng leadership in the area of sustainable water systems, the University has set the following goals applicable to all loca ons: 1. In line with the State of California’s law establishing a goal to reduce per capita potable water consump on by 20%6, each loca on will strive to reduce potable water consump on adjusted for popula on growth by 20% by the year 2020. This target will be re-evaluated and recommenda ons for adjustments will be made as necessary by the Sustainable Water Systems Working Group. Loca ons that have already achieved this target are encouraged to set more stringent goals to further reduce potable water consump on. 2. Each loca on will develop and maintain a Water Ac on Plan that iden fies long term strategies for achieving sustainable water systems. 10 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION UC Irvine is a global and na onal leader in research and teaching related to water sustainability. Waterrelated courses are offered through the following departments; Civil & Environmental Engineering, Ecology & Evolu onary Biology, Planning, Policy and Design. Interdisciplinary research programs include the Urban Water Research Center and UCI Water – PIRE, both detailed below. UC Irvine research and teaching programs provide na onal and interna onal leadership in mul ple areas of water-related research including water quality, water use, hydrology and climate systems, and water policy and law. The Urban Water Research Center and UCI Water program conduct research and teaching focused on local and global water issues. Under the umbrella of the “Campus as a Living Laboratory for Sustainability” campus opera ons strive to support UC Irvine water-related research programs through collabora ve projects involving water use and water quality. Urban Water Research Center The Urban Water Research Center’s (UWRC) mission is to advance the understanding of the dis nct characteris cs of the urban water environment in order to assist people and ins tu ons in their effort to promote health, enhance the efficient use of water resources, and protect environmental values. The Center is a partnership with over 70 faculty members and a variety of departments at UC Irvine including Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth System Sciences, Ecology and Evolu onary Biology, Occupa onal and Environmental Medicine Planning, Policy, and Design, Program in Public Health and many others. This partnership provides research, graduate educa on, and conducts public informa on programs. The Center pursues research that addresses topics such as water supply, demand and distribu on, water quality issues for drinking and recrea onal use, how wetlands can reduce pollutants entering our streams and rivers from urban runoff, and how the acquisi on and distribu on of water and wastewater affect urban ecosystems, urban water reuse and public policy. Working together, we are able to effec vely address the mul tude of interdisciplinary water problems that people are facing in the modern urban environment. (h p://www.uwrc.uci.edu/about-uwrc. html) UCI Water –PIRE Garfield Kwan UCI Water - PIRE parƟcipants conduct fieldwork in Australia during a six week undergraduate research program. Funded by the Na onal Science Founda on for Partnerships for Interna onal Research and Educa on (NSF-PIRE) the UCI Water/PIRE project links five different universi es (UC Irvine, UCLA, UCSD, University of Melbourne, and Monash University) to facilitate research, educa on, and training in water sustainability. The goals of the project are: 1. To increase knowledge and understanding of sustainable urban water systems, and in the process equip a new genera on of engineers, natural, physical, and social scien sts, policy makers, and educators with mul -disciplinary skills and sensi vi es. WATER ACTION PLAN 11 2. To accelerate educa on and training in the area of urban water sustainability, and diffuse knowledge about sustainability op ons to the U.S. middle-school and high-school students, undergraduate STEM majors, graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and prac oners. To contribute to the development of a workforce in urban sustainability science, engineering, and policy that will thrive in the face of transdisciplinary problems. 3. To improve urban water sustainability research and applica on through the establishment of new partnerships between university researchers, nonuniversity researchers, and urban water managers. 4. To increase the capacity of UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering (HSSoE) to lead research and educa onal exchange programs with other units on campus, other universi es, non-university research programs, and interna onal partners. Garfield Kwan UCI Water - PIRE parƟcipant Jessica SaƩerlee test water quality during the Australian undergraduate research program UPP Down Under UC IRVINE AND WATER RESEARCH Knowledge gained from viewing the Earth’s waterstressed aquifers from the vantage point of space led UC Irvine Professor Jay Famiglie to embark on a global outreach campaign to call a en on to the cri cal need to be er manage the world’s available water resources across geo-poli cal lines with the goal of sustaining the world’s water supply well into the future. Famiglie , founding director of the University of California’s Center for Hydrologic Modeling, is a Professor of Earth System Science and Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Irvine. He and his research team pioneered the use of NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission satellites to iden fy “hotspots of water stress” around the world, including those areas where on-the-ground research can be difficult for poli cal, economic, or security reasons. Findings published in 2011 confirmed that most of these loca ons are associated with groundwater 12 deple on. Observing the results “was like watching a Polaroid develop,” he says in the documentary film “Last Call at the Oasis.” “All of sudden, you have a complete picture. It’s like an omigod moment; you realize: I can’t believe this is happening, and I need to tell somebody about it.” One of the visuals in ques on was shared on huge electronic billboards in New York City’s Times Square beginning on World Water Day on March 12, 2012, and running several mes a day for a month. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE WATER USE MAIN CAMPUS - POTABLE UC Irvine uses a majority of its potable water in the academic core, accoun ng for 74% of potable water use. Approximately 325 million gallons (MG) are used annually to support a campus popula on of 35,000 including students, faculty, and staff. The second largest source of potable water consump on is the Central Plant where the cooling towers serving the Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) use approximately 65 MG of potable water annually. Student housing uses 30.5 MG of potable water for both indoor and outdoor use. Three loca ons currently use potable water for irriga on; two within student housing, Verano Place & a por on of Middle Earth (approximately 2.4 MG annually), and the North Campus arboretum. Intercollegiate athle c and recrea on swimming pools account for 3% of potable water use or approximately 15 MG of potable water per year. See Figure 4 below for potable water use by en ty. 2009 for the Medical Center) based on availability of accurate usage data. A weighted campus user (WCU) factor is used to normalize usage based on faculty, staff, and student residents and student, faculty, and staff commuters. UC Irvine used an average of 500 MG of potable water annually during the baseline period of 2005 and 2007. This translates to 18,341 gallons per WCU and approximately 52.51 gallons per gross square foot of building space during the baseline period. In 2012 the campus used approximately 394 MG of potable water 12,600 gallons per WCU, and 37 gallons per square foot of space (GSF) a significant reduc on from the baseline period. See Figure 4 below for per capita water use. FIGURE 5: PER WCU WATER USE 25,000 15,000 10,000 2020 Policy Goal 18,300 14,400 5,000 Potable Water Use 3% 20,000 'ĂůůŽŶƐ FIGURE 4: POTABLE WATER USE BY ENTITY 0 1% ĂƐĞůŝŶĞ;ϬϰͬϬϱͲϬϲͬϬϳͿ ϮϬϭϭͲϮϬϭϮ Central Plant 15% Student Housing 7% Campus Core Pools (Crawfrod & ARC) 74% Irrigation -Verano/Middle Earth The UC Sustainable Water Systems Policy requires each campus to annually report total potable water use, gallons per weighted campus user (WCU), and gallons per California-Adjusted Gross Square Footage (OGSF 50). Baseline water use for the the campus and medical center were established using a 3-year average (FY 2005-2007 for the campus and FY2007- WATER ACTION PLAN 13 MEDICAL CENTER - POTABLE The medical center currently uses potable water for indoor and outdoor use. Potable water use at the medical center is normalized by Adjusted Pa ent Day (APD). Adjusted Pa ent Day is defined as inpa ent days x (gross pa ent revenue/inpa ent revenue) where gross pa ent revenue is the sum of outpa ent revenue, newborn revenu,e and inpa ent revenue. Potable water use has increased at the medical center since the baseline years of 2007-2009 FY from 630 gallons per APD to 644 gallons per APD. FIGURE 6: MEDICAL CENTER POTABLE USE PER AJUSTED PATIENT DAY 700,000 RECYCLED WATER Reclaimed water (treated blackwater) is used for landscape irriga on on campus. The Irvine Ranch Water District was a pioneer in trea ng wastewater for reuse for agriculture and landscape irriga on. Beginning in the 1960’s UC Irvine has used recycled water (disinfected ter ary recycled water) supplied by the IRWD Michelson Treatment Plant for landscape irriga on, preserving a significant amount of water for the regional potable water supply. The water quality of IRWD reclaimed water is generally high and has shown virtually no impact to most plant species used in campus landscape. The campus used an average of 183 MG of reclaimed water during the baseline year with per capita use at 6,736. In FY 2011/12 campuswide use decreased to approximately 167 MG of reclaimed water with per capita use of approximately 5,000 gallons. 600,000 'ĂůůŽŶƐ 500,000 630,00 644,000 2020 Policy Goal 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 14 ĂƐĞůŝŶĞ;ϬϳͬϬϴͲϬϴͬϬϵͿ ϮϬϭϭͲϮϬϭϮ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE STORMWATER The main campus has an extensive network of stormwater collec on, conveyance, treatment, and discharge systems. This includes underground storm drain facili es, open channel flow, and stormwater treatment systems. Early development of these systems focused primarily on collec on and conveyance offsite. More recent stormwater improvements focus on collec on, reten on, treatment, and percola on. The exis ng medical center storm drain system includes a network of collec on and conveyance systems. Stormwater and other runoff is collected at inlet structures throughout the site and conveyed to the south edge of the site where it connects to the County of Orange storm drain system under Dawn Way for discharge into the Santa Ana River channel. BLACKWATER All main campus blackwater (sewerage) is currently collected in the sanitary sewer network and conveyed to the IRWD Michelson Treatment Plant for treatment to reclaimed water. The current volume of blackwater produced is es mated at 490 MG annually, including on-campus faculty housing and third-party student housing. The campus reclaims approximately 34% of blackwater produced through the purchase of reclaimed irriga on water from IRWD. Blackwater from the Medical Center is collected into a single discharge line running south from the property, crossing Dawn Way, under City Drive, and then on to Orange County Sanita on District in Fountain Valley. GRAYWATER Graywater is defined as wastewater produced from hand washing sinks and showers and contains no human waste. Wastewater generated in laundries and kitchen sinks is not considered usable graywater due to the high level of nutrients. UC Irvine has no current graywater collec on and reuse systems so there is no current es mate of graywater volume generated on the main campus or medical center. All graywater is currently collected in the sanitary sewer system and conveyed to the IRWD Michelson Treatment Plant. WATER AND ENERGY As UC Irvine’s potable water comes either from local groundwater sources or is transported from northern California the energy required for pumping, conveyance, and treatment is significantly higher than the na onal average. In 2008 IRWD par cipated in the California Public U lity Commission’s (CPUC) Water Pilot Program with Southern California Edison (SCE). Pilot projects focused on water conserva on and technologies to reduce energy use related to water. As part of this program IRWD performed an analysis of energy intensity (kWh/million gallons per day (MGD)) of potable and reclaimed water as well as wastewater. The energy intensity (based on a weighted average of imported water and groundwater) of potable water was determined to be approximately 5,967 kWh/MGD, reclaimed water at 978 kWh/MGD, and the energy intensity for collec on and treatment of wastewater was calculated to be approximately 1,600 kWh/MGD. While UC Irvine does not manage the acquisi on and transmission of water supplied by IRWD and is not directly accountable for the embodied energy and associated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in water delivered to the campus, UCI recognizes the energy use and carbon footprint associated with its water supply as part of its public responsibility in suppor ng statewide GHG reduc on goals. In this regard, WAP planning and project development will consider the embodied energy and GHG emissions as a factor in decision making and implementa on. WATER ACTION PLAN 15 POTABLE REDUCTIONS UC Irvine is currently on track to meet the UC systemwide 20% reduc on goal by 2020 due to past water conserva on and reduc on measures but will need to con nue to implement water reduc on strategies as the University experiences both program and facility growth. Since the 2005-2007 baseline period UC Irvine has reduced potable water consump on by 26% (2011/12 FY) (See Table 3). Reduc ons between the baseline year and 2011/12 were the result of plumbing fixture upgrades (toilets, shower heads, and faucets) and water efficiency measures across campus. These plumbing fixture upgrades are es mated to save 14.8 million gallons per year with an es mated total annual cost savings of $86,650/year. RECLAIMED REDUCTIONS UC Irvine has implemented a series of water efficiency measures related to landscape irriga on. Past ac ons include plant selec on, plant zoning, weather-based central irriga on control systems, sprinkler nozzle retrofit, and other efficiency techniques. The 1995 Green and Gold Plan, the main campus’ sustainable landscape management plan’s primary goal is to u lize plants that conserve water. Na ve plants, along with Mediterranean plants suited to southern California climate, are priori zed in landscape projects. The main campus uses the Maxxicom weather-based irriga on control system to manage landscape irriga on. As a result of all of these measures UC Irvine has reduced reclaimed water use by 28% per acre annually since 2008. UC IRVINE WATER BATTLES In 2012 and 2013 Studen Housing has hosted a water ba le in which 24 residence halls competed over the course of a month period. Sponsored by The Green Ini a ve Fund (TGIF), PowerSave Green Campus, and the Irvine Ranch Water District this compe on’s goal was to shape the daily rou ne of residents to reduce water consump on. Through an online dashboard residents were able to monitor their hall’s water consump on. At the end of the compe on awards were given to the hall with the greatest reduc on as well as the hall that showed the most improvement. 16 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE REDUCING UCI’S WATER FOOTPRINT MAIN CAMPUS GOALS Potable Indoor Water Reduc on: UC Irvine main campus is currently on track to meet the system-wide 2020 water use reduc on goal but needs to con nue to implement reduc on strategies to offset 2013-2020 program and facility-related demand increases. UC Irvine will also strive to achieve a “stretch goal” of exceeding the 20% reduc on goal by an addi onal 10%, for a total of a 30% reduc on per weighted campus user and per OGSF. Landscape Irriga on: The UC Irvine main campus will reduce total landscape water use by 30% per acre for vegetated grounds by 2020. Stormwater Management: 1. Adopt Low Impact Design (LID) as required strategy for all new construc on and major redevelopment projects to achieve. 2. Priori ze green infrastructure (rain gardens, vegetated swales, reten on ponds, porous paving) to treat runoff associated with ongoing opera ons. MEDICAL CENTER GOAL The medical center’s goal is to reach the 20% reduc on based on adjusted pa ent day by 2020. UCIMC will also adopt LID as a standard for new construc on and major redevelopment projects. Sustainable Water Systems Strategies UC Irvine’s water reduc on and improvement opportuni es are based on the following strategies for reducing total water use, outreach, and stormwater management. 1. Improve mapping and monitoring of all water systems 2. Pursue all financially feasible indoor potable use reduc on projects 3. Capture & reuse for indoor and outdoor use 4. Improve landscape irriga on efficiency and replace underu lized turf with climate appropriate plant material 5. Con nue and Improve Outreach & Educa onal Campaign 6. Implement Low Impact Development (LID) techniques in new construc on and priori ze low energy green infrastructure for opera ons WATER ACTION PLAN 17 OPPORTUNITIES OVERALL 1. Detailed campus water audit Update and validate campus-wide 2010 water audit to provide a detailed current picture of infrastructure upgrade needs and to iden fy new project opportuni es. Complete medical center water audit that is currently underway. 2. Water infrastructure map Develop a comprehensive mapping of water infrastructure and establish monitoring system. Mapping will include exis ng water resources including potable and reclaimed water lines and meters, landscaping by plant type, and exis ng stormwater features to guide future planning efforts. 3. Addi onal metering & Improved monitoring Iden fy priority loca ons for installing meters to provide a more accurate method of measuring usage. Currently the main campus tracks potable and reclaimed water consump on through billing data UC Irvine currently visually reads building water meters only for recharge accounts. While domes c water meters are typically installed on buildings when constructed, meters have not been used or maintained. This project would evaluate exis ng meters to confirm status and calibra on. Faulty meters will be replaced and all meters would be upgraded to include a remote sensor for easy monitoring. 4. Improve leak no fica on methodology Signage, along with an educa onal campaign, providing a number to text or call to no fy facili es management would improve response mes for outdoor and indoor plumbing issues. 18 POTABLE INDOOR 1. Central Plant retrofit Conduct feasibility studies on currently available and emerging water treatment technologies for retrofi ng the central plant cooling towers with reclaimed water. Based on the significant opportunity for potable water savings, detailed evalua on of feasible applica ons is warranted. This retrofit could result in an 8% reduc on of campuswide water use (approximately 66 million gallons per year). Based on current rates of $1.27/ccf potable water and $.76/ccf reclaimed water this project would result in an opera onal savings of approximately $112,000 per year. 2. Plumbing retrofits/upgrades An es mated 309 urinals within buildings constructed post-1994 (greater than 1 gpf) can be upgraded on campus. By replacing these urinals an es mated 4.3 MG per year would be saved. The cost to replace these urinals is es mated at $420,000 with an es mated simple payback of 21 years without incen ves. All pre-1994 (1.28-3.4 gpf) constructed buildings’ toilets have been replaced as of December 2012. As a next step an es mated 1,065 toilets with 1.28-1.6 gpf can be upgraded and will result in an es mated 10.6 MG annual savings. Simple payback with no incen ves would be 20 years. Faucets using more than 0.5 gpm (laboratory and janitorial faucets not included) can be retrofi ed with aerators or replaced. A detailed inventory needs to occur to provide es mated water savings. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Exis ng showerheads in campus-owned graduate student housing have been iden fied as another area for poten al retrofit. Es mated savings are 7,300 gallons annually for each showerhead device and 7, 665 gallons annually for aerators placed on faucets. 4. Autoclave retrofit Autoclaves used for steam steriliza on in laboratories are currently being retrofi ed across the main campus. Steam sterilizers use con nuous cold water (single pass cooling) to temper the steam condensate, which is wasteful. This upgrade monitors the drain temperature and applies cold water only when needed. The project will result in 6.75 MG of water savings per year. 5. Condensate recovery The Medical Science building uses steam for cage washers, bo le washers, and sterilizers. Without a return system all steam is drained into the sewer once it condenses. Installing a return system would result in an annual savings of 3 million gallons of water and would save an es mated 17,000 therms of natural gas per year. UC Irvine will inves gate the implementa on of waterefficient technologies in new construc on projects (student housing or academic/support facili es) including the following: a. A pilot project of plumbing urinals and toilets for reclaimed water use. b. Graywater reuse and/or rainwater harves ng for landscape irriga on 3. Swimming pool cover scheduling UC Irvine has two swimming pools on the main campus. The Crawford Athle cs Complex covers its pool in the evenings from December through February, while the Anteater Recrea on Center covers its pool about 300 nights per year. The WWG, along with staff from both facili es will examine opportuni es to increase coverage, especially during mes of high evapora on. 6. Capture and reuse Graywater and stormwater have historically been viewed as a waste product on campus. However, these types of water should be viewed as a resource that can replace the use of potable and reclaimed water provided by IRWD for uses such as landscape irriga on. UC Irvine should con nue to inves gate exis ng and emerging technologies for on-site water reuse including pilot, demonstra on, and research project applica ons. By capturing and reusing water on site UC Irvine would decrease dependence on water from energy intensive sources. WATER ACTION PLAN 19 LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION Reclaimed water is o en regarded as a waste product in which its best use is landscape irriga on. However, as total water scarcity increases and the costs of reclaimed water gets closer to the cost of potable water reclaimed water may be priori zed for other uses including indoor plumbing, cooling towers, and other non-potable uses other than landscaping. Although the main campus irrigates approximately 90% of its landscaped areas with reclaimed water two student housing areas and the arboretum use potable water for irriga on. These areas should be priori zed for water reduc on projects. Verano Place graduate student housing has approximately 36 acres of shrub and lawn area and areas of Middle Earth housing use potable water. Turf removal and irriga on efficiency should be pursued to reduce water consump on in both areas. 1. Turf removal & California na ve landscapes Underu lized turf areas (potable or reclaimed) can be re-landscaped with na ve or drought tolerant plants. Turf areas that are not used for ac ve or passive recrea on need to be iden fied. As a living laboratory UC Irvine can reduce landscape irriga on while educa ng the public about the benefits of landscaping with California na ve plants. The WWG will iden fy poten al areas visible to the public to be used as future demonstra on projects. ALDRICH HALL TURF REMOVAL In 2013 the Office of Environmental Planning & Facili es Management replaced a turf area of approximately 3,500 square feet near Aldrich Hall with California na ve plants. Once established this 20 woodland garden will no longer need irriga on. Underu lized turf areas across campus will con nue to be replaced with climate appropriate plants. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE 2. Irriga on system improvements and efficiency While the main campus has already made strides in irriga on efficiency, a number opportuni es exist for further improvement. UC Irvine will pursue the following measures within the campus core, playfields, and student housing areas: a. Upgraded central control system with all clocks properly linked 3. Reclaimed water for dust control in new construc on Construc on ac vi es present an addi onal opportunity for potable reduc on. Millions of gallons of potable water are currently used on the main campus annually to control dust during construc on. The Irvine Campus Housing Authority (ICHA) currently uses reclaimed water. The WWG will explore the poten al for implemen ng this prac ce campuswide. b. Installa on of ground moisture sensors where needed c. Iden fica on of loca ons where pressure regulators can be placed on.75, 1, 1.5” valves d. Replacement of exis ng nozzles with high-efficiency nozzles e. Training of irriga on staff as Cer fied Landscape Irriga on Auditor/Manager f. 1x month irriga on night audit g. Maintain mulch in all planters to 3” to reduce evapora on h. Raise height of all cool season turfgrass from 1.5”2.5” to 3” WATER ACTION PLAN 21 PUBLIC EDUCATION & OUTREACH Educa on and outreach have been effec ve in reducing water use on the main campus changing student’s understanding of, and behavioral habits, towards water related issues. Past outreach and educa onal ac vi es include the following: 1. Student sustainability groups such as the PowerSave Green Campus program have ini ated a number of educa onal campaigns and compe ons. 2. Civil engineering students have studied areas on the main campus to implement vegetated swales to treat runoff associated. 3. The main campus has implemented a signage and educa onal program to reduce water use in restrooms. Signs encourage visitors to turn off faucets when not in use. Signage is also being used to direct visitors to hydra on sta ons within buildings to promote filling their own water bo les rather than buying bo led water. Further opportuni es to use the main campus and medical center as a living laboratory for water reduc on and stormwater management, along with future outreach programs will be explored through collabora on of students, faculty, and staff. 22 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT The main campus and medical center are located in urban watersheds characterized by surface flow to the storm drain system. Historic infrastructure development of both campuses has focused on trea ng runoff as a waste product rather than a resource. A healthy watershed, mirroring predevelopment, is typically characterized by low surface runoff and higher evapora on and infiltra on. In compliance with federal and state water quality regula ons, UC policy, and UC Irvine green building goals, the main campus has established a founda on of mechanical and natural treatment systems for stormwater quality. Projects implemented to date rely primarily on capture, treatment, and release for either percola on or the ocean. UC Irvine developed a Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) in 2003 which details best management prac ces (BMP’s ) to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act and the NPDES MS4 permit. However, opportuni es exist for priori zing low energy consuming BMP’s for trea ng stormwater in new construc on projects and ongoing opera ons. 1. Adopt Low Impact Development (LID) as standard prac ce Low Impact Development (LID) seeks to restore urban post development water cycles to predevelopment by trea ng stormwater closer to the source, improving hydrologic and ecological func on. UC Irvine will adopt the principles of LID for new construc on and major redevelopment projects through its design standards. The following are examples of poten al LID prac ces the main campus and medical center will consider for future projects. a. Onsite reten on Biorenten on removes contaminants associated with runoff by collec ng stormwater and allowing it to either be filtered by infiltra ng a sand filter bed, evapotranspira on, or plant uptake. The UC Irvine main campus has both large and small scale bioreten on facili es. WATER ACTION PLAN Verano Place reten on basin b. Roo op Gardens Roo op gardens have been u lized in urban areas for trea ng stormwater, providing habitat, and reducing the urban heat island effect. Because of UC Irvine’s loca on, climate, and available open space, roo op gardens have not been a preferred method for trea ng stormwater based on a variety of factors. The campus will con nue to evaluate the feasibility of roo op garden applica ons. Vegetated Swales, Buffers & Strips; Tree Preserva on c. Vegetated swales Constructed vegetated swales mimic naturally vegetated swales that clean stormwater runoff by removing sediment, metals, and other pollutants. Removal is accomplished through exposure to sun, uptake of plants, and filtra on through soil. UC Irvine has installed a number of vegetated swales that treat urban runoff and will con nue to look for opportuni es for addi onal swales 23 d. Rain Cisterns Rain cisterns capture stormwater from roo ops and store for landscape irriga on and other non potable uses. The feasibility of rain cistern use in project applica ons or demonstra on/research projects should be explored. e. Permeable Pavers Permeable paving has been used at UC Irvine where underlying soils allow for percola on. Many soils on the main campus are impervious and thus are not suitable for permeable paving. 2. Priori ze LID and similar green infrastructure to treat stormwater associated with ongoing opera ons The EPA defines green infrastructure as ‘systems and prac ces that use or mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evapotranspirate (the return of water to the atmosphere either through evapora on or by plants), or reuse stormwater or runoff on the site where it is generated.’ The 2003 SWMP outlines how UC Irvine will manage Verano Place rain garden with sand filter bed research opportuni es. 3. Vegetated swale demonstra on projects Civil and environmental engineering students have inves gated a number of opportuni es to incorporate vegetated swales to treat runoff on campus. UC Irvine will con nue to seek opportuni es and grant funding to install vegetated swales as opera onal or demonstra on projects. 4. Water Quality Educa onal Campaign A number of water quality features exist at UC Irvine and interpre ve signage should be developed to educate the campus community and visitors about these features as many are not easily iden fiable. Signage could be placed at Verano Place and Vista del Campo Norte as both have LID prac ces including bioreten on, vegetated swales, permeable paving, and infiltra on. Verano Place bioswale both quan ty and quality of stormwater for new construc on and ongoing opera ons. BMP’s that are both mechanical and natural are outlined. Priority needs to be given to green infrastructure and LID techniques as low energy alterna ves to mechanical systems. The WWG will explore opportuni es to implement green infrastructure through demonstra on projects and 24 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE PROJECT LIST WATER ACTION PLAN 25 REFERENCES 2007 LRDP EIR 2010 Water Management Inc. Report Embedded Energy in Water Pilot Programs Impact Evalua on (CPUC) IRWD Urban Water Management Plan 2009 IRWD Water Shortage Con ngency Plan UC Irvine Sustainability Staff Contributors Wendell Brase Vice Chancellor, Administra ve and Business Services Kathy Haq Manager of Special Projects, Administra ve and Business Services UC Irvine Sustainable Water Systems Working Group Richard Demerjian (Chair) Director, Environmental Planning & Sustainability Fred Bockmiller Engineer Manager, Facili es Management Ma hew Deines Senior Planner, Environmental Planning & Sustainability Doug Koehler Assistant Director, UCIMC Facility Maintenance Melissa Falkens en Director, Capital Projects & Asset Management – Student Housing Adam Feuerstein Construc on Project Manager, Facili es Management Greg Rothberg Associate Director, Campus Recrea on Daniel Hirchag Irriga on Mechanic, Anteater Recrea on Center Dick Sun Interim Deputy Director, EH&S Anne Krieghoff Facili es Management IRWD Mark Te emer Fiona Sanchez Amy McNulty Nathan Adams Recycled Water Development Manager Assistant Director of Water Policy Water Efficiency Supervisor Water Use Efficiency Analyst UC Irvine Staff Daniel Hirchag Ben Delo Irriga on Mechanic Project Analyst - Housing Document Prepared by Office of Environmental Planning & Sustainability Richard Demerjian Ma hew Deines 26 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE