Water

We're dedicated to reducing water consumption here at the University of Plymouth. Discover how we're doing it
Water

We've reduced water use by 50 per cent since 2005–06 – by targeting leaks and introducing water-efficient equipment and technology. 

Our commitment 

We're dedicated to reducing water consumption on campus. How? Through technological innovation and behaviour change.

We aim to:

  • reduce water consumption from 4m3 per student to below 3.0m3 by 2020
  • maintain water consuming equipment at its optimum efficiency in all buildings and facilities
  • reduce consumption through tighter control and elimination of leakages
  • avoid unnecessary expenditure on water consumption.

Our performance:

  • Since 2005-06, we've reduced annual water consumption by 27 per cent.
  • Our goal to reduce water consumption per student is near the target, with consumption per student currently at around 4m3. Water use per user including staff is 3.8m3.

How we're reducing water consumption

With changing weather patterns and increasing global demands, water is the next big global environmental threat – with huge societal impacts. Not only that, the South West has one of the highest water charges in the country. We're committed to responsible water management as part of our overall sustainability strategy. And we believe that water conservation is paramount in terms of protecting the environment and reducing costs. 

Our first round of water conservation from 1991 to 2004 led to a 45 per cent reduction in water use, delivering a saving of £1.6 million and 300TCO2e. We have half-hourly water meters throughout the campus, which provides intense monitoring and mapping of water consumption. The more intelligent metering gives us a much greater understanding of water use on campus, meaning we can target problem areas. Water is also closely monitored through our profile alerts platform, alerting us when water use changes from expected levels due to a leak, or change in user behaviour or equipment. 

Rainwater harvesting 

Rainwater harvesting technology is used in the Roland Levinsky Building, Nancy Astor Building, Marine Building and The House. 

Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in large tanks. The water is then used for the flushing of toilets, and prevents the drinking water from the mains being used. There are many advantages to harvesting rainwater, mainly in providing an independent and local water supply, which is not impacted by regional water restrictions and which reduces the demand on local water infrastructure.