UW-Madison reduced its annual water consumption over the past decade, and campus sustainability efforts may be a leading contributor.
According to data from the Madison Water Utility, UW-Madison used 941.6 million gallons of water in 2010. By 2019, water use dropped to 836.3 million gallons.
Nathan Jandl, the assistant director of the UW-Madison Office of Sustainability, said that active efforts on campus, such as upgrading water fixtures, facilitated the decrease in water usage.
“It appears at this point that it’s more the cumulative effect of those kinds of smaller measures adding up over time,” Jandl said.
Sustainability efforts are led by both students and the university, according to Jandl.
The Green Fund — a program with the Office of Sustainability that awards money to student-led projects reducing the environmental footprint of campus buildings — financed an initiative to install low-flow toilets in four residence halls. The project will save approximately 410 million gallons of water and over $2.4 million in utility bills, according to the university.
“Making it a normal operation to use efficient fixtures is a really important part of advancing any of these kinds of sustainability outcomes like reducing water,” Jandl said.
Another project at the Charter Street Heating and Cooling Plant diverted 70 million gallons of water from the sewer drain.
The success of the projects were reflected in UW-Madison’s silver rating for efforts in resource stewardship, education and research as part of its first assessment by the national Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating system.
While UW-Madison does not explicitly ask individuals to reduce their personal water consumption, Jandl said he believed campus members have become more conscious of their water use.
“The Office of Sustainability, and certainly others on campus, are encouraging water conservation and engagement with people on the importance of having healthy watersheds,” Jandl said. “Even though we are a relatively water wealthy state, that’s still a message that we and others are trying to get out.”
