PULLMAN, Wash. Total water usage by Washington State University at its campus here in 2010 dropped to the lowest recorded level in 50 years (since 1960).WSU pumped 459 million gallons of water to serve the Pullman campus during the 2010 calendar year, roughly a four percent decline from the 479 million gallons pumped to serve the campus in 2009. The university’s 2010 water usage also represented nearly a 283 million gallon, or 38 percent, consumption decrease from WSU’s all-time peak water consumption level of 741,898,600 gallons in 1984.
Robert Corcoran, executive director of Facility Operations at WSU, said the success in reducing water consumption to a level recorded almost half a century ago is particularly significant in light of the expansive growth in enrollment and campus facilities that has occurred since that time.
Corcoran said WSU’s success in reducing water consumption is attributable to active and ongoing conservation measures taken by the university, as well as the replacement or upgrading of a variety of equipment to employ water-recycling and conservation technologies.
He said WSU is an active participant on the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee and also maintains a Water Board, comprised of staff or representatives from Facilities Operations, Capital Planning and Development, Housing and Dining Services, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) and Regional Campuses and Research Units, that is responsible for ensuring that the water system conforms to all applicable regulations.