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
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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
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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.
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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
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FIGURE 4: POTABLE WATER USE
BY ENTITY
0
1%
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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
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500,000
630,00
644,000
2020 Policy Goal
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
14
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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