Colleges and Universities
Universities and colleges are major water users. Irish Water is supporting these institutions to help lower water consumption and operating costs while protecting the environment.
Water conservation in education
Many of our educational institutions are pioneers when it comes to water conservation. A number of leading universities have taken part in Irish Water’s Water Stewardship Training. They have appointed Water Stewards to:
- implement innovative plans for water conservation
- install new water management technology
- launch awareness campaigns for staff and students
DCU water conservation - a best practice case study
DCU's Energy newsletter is a great initiative that helps drive sustainable change across the campus. In June 2020 they issued a dedicated water edition to promote water conservation on campus and at home. Features include water balance mapping across all their campuses, practical tips to conserve, and a metric result orientated approach. This leads to reduced bills and a win for sustainability. The numbers below highlight the success they’ve had to date.
Reduction water consumption across DCU community
Save water and money on campus
Understand how much water the campus uses and how it compares to other institutions. This can help identify waste through leaks or poor behaviour.
Toilets
Old toilets use up to 15 litres per flush compared to new dual flush toilets which use 4 to 6 litres per flush. We recommend replacing the ladies toilets first as they are flushed after every use. "Replacing an old 12 litre toilet used six times per hour replaced with a 4/6 litre dual flush toilet will save €1,000 per toilet per annum."
Water stewardship training programme
Irish Water is running a water stewardship training programme in partnership with Central Solutions and the Lean & Green Skillnet. The programme supports colleges to lower their water consumption and reduce operating costs while protecting the environment.
Why register your college or university?
- Achieve international best practice certification. The programme is accredited by the European Water Stewardship Standards (EWS).
- Funded Programme by Irish Water and the Lean & Green Skillnet with the support of Skillnet Ireland and the Department of Education and Skills.
- Reduce water consumption and operating costs at your site.
- Learn the key principles of water stewardship and the actions required to improve your environmental performance.