January 2019

graphic of waves on blue background

SU and Water Conservation

  • Last year, Seattle University invested in water conservation by replacing the showerheads and faucet aerators in the Xavier, Campion, Bellarmine, Murphy, and Chardin residence halls with low-flow fixtures. Initial estimates indicate that SU will reduce 25% or about 4 million gallons of water for residence halls per year! 
  • The LEED Gold Admissions & Alumni building is equipped with water cisterns that capture rainwater to irrigate the landscape. The entrance to the LEED Gold Lemieux Library is a series of structures that captures roof runoff which supplies the water used in the upper pool and waterfall feature. All new buildings at SU are designed to achieve LEED Gold standards. Take a tour to learn more about the four LEED Gold certified buildings on campus.
  • SU is home to two rain gardens and two green roofs. Learn more here.
  • SU is involved in numerous local and international water projects, check them out.
  • Check out the Seattle University faculty experts and sustainability courses in water.
  • The Bullitt Center, just a few blocks from campus where CEJS used to be located, is the world's greenest commercial building. It has its own greywater system, rainwater gardens, and composting toilets! Schedule a tour.
  • Our students led the campaign to make Seattle U the first Washington school to remove single-use bottled water everywhere on campus. No plastic water bottles are sold on campus, so make sure to bring your own reusable water bottle! Read our Case Study and Ban the Bottle FAQs for other universities. 
  • On SU's grounds, drip irrigation eliminates water lost from wind, runoff, and evaporation. Rain sensors prevent the irrigation system from turning on when it’s raining. Plants are watered in the evenings when watering is most efficient. Plants with similar watering requirements are grouped in the same zone. Native, drought-tolerant plants are preferred. Schedule a campus grounds tour to learn more!

Events at SU this Month

Because Water is Life: Faculty and Staff Reading Group

When: 01/17/2019 and 01/24/2019    Time: 12:15PM-2:00PM 
Where:  #STCN 130
Description: Honoring the work of Professor Emeritus Gary Chamberlain, who passed away this fall, the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability (CEJS) and the Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture are pleased to offer a discussion group of his most recent book Because Water is Life. Books and lunch will be provided, and the group will be led by Dr. Phillip Thompson, Director of CEJS and professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dave Leigh, S.J., professor of English. To join the reading group, please RSVP by Dec. 14 to ictc@seattleu.edu.

Recyclemania Kick off!

When: 01/29/2019    Time: 11:00AM-2:00PM 
Where:  Student Center 2nd floor, C-Street
Description: Come by and learn more about Recyclemania, the events SU will be putting on for the competition this year and ways to reduce waste! SIGN UP HERE TO VOLUNTEER 

Water Fast Facts

  • According to the UN, 1.8 billion people use contaminated drinking water.
  • It takes 1,800 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef.
  • Less than 10 countries possess 60% of the world's available freshwater supply.1
  • In developing countries, as much as 80% of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions.1
  • 90% of Washington state’s power is generated by hydroelectric dams.2
  • Surveys from 45 developing countries show that 2/3 of households rely on women to collect drinking water.3
  • According to the World Health Organization, the global economic return on water spending is US$ 2.0 per US dollar invested.4

Resources

Sources:

  1. thewaterproject.org/water-scarcity/water_stats
  2. http://www.seattle.gov/light/FuelMix/
  3. who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2012/globalcosts.pdf