Fresh Water Conservation

Conserving fresh water use reduces energy use and helps conserve natural habitats.

History

In 2000-1, UW Oshkosh replaced over 1,000 4.18 gallons per flush (GPF) toilets with new 1.6 gpf toilets and installed low-flow faucet restrictors on sinks throughout the campus.
In 2004-5, the university replaced the natural grass football field at Titan Stadium with artificial grass, result in an estimated savings of 850,000 gallons of water used for irrigation.
In 2005-6, we retrofitted the water-cooled systems at Blackhawk Commons with air-cooled equipment, reducing the use of water.

Results

From 2000-2006, UW Oshkosh reduced water consumption 35%.

New initiatives

Update the campus audit, identifying facilities with the highest fresh water consumption per square foot.
Provide water usage feedback to campus.
Educate the campus about water conservation.

Goal

Reduce water consumption by 50% from 2000 levels by 2012.

What YOU can do

Stop the Drop! Turn off faucets when you are not using them.
Take showers instead of baths, and take shorter showers.

Want to know more?

Here is a link to the section of our Campus Sustainability Plan on fresh water conservation: CSP IV D - Fresh Water.

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by David Barnhill — last modified Feb 13, 2009 01:09 PM

Bike and Pedestrian Survey

The City of Oshkosh is updating its Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan and they are looking for public input from people who live, work, study, or recreate in Oshkosh. They have developed a website that has links to an online survey:

pedestrian_bicycle_plan

Even if you do not currently use a bike or walk to campus, completing the survey will help the city learn why you do not, or how they might improve city infrastructure.

Most of us use city facilities every day: sidewalks along streets carrying automobiles through campus are built by the city, to their current standards. The last public meeting was in August, so student and staff input was not representative of UW Oshkosh pedestrians and bicyclists. So please consider giving the city some feedback from the campus community.