As water shortages continue in numerous regions across the country, institutional and commercial facilities are taking a closer look at everything in and around their buildings — from plumbing fixtures to irrigation systems — in an effort to curtail water use and hold down utility costs. In the case of one major university, water conservation efforts have included the construction of an entirely new facility.
The University of Texas at Austin is addressing its use of water with the development of the UT WaterHub, a 9,600-square-foot water processing facility on campus that will allow the university to dramatically decrease its water use.
The project is the university’s response to growing water scarcity and emphasizes the resilience of campus utility water services during storms and addressing aging infrastructure.
The facility is expected to substantially reduce campus water use, decrease the university’s dependence on city water supplies year-round and enhance utility infrastructure resilience. The intended result is cost savings in water purchases and water discharge fees. Early projections indicate that the facility will reduce campus potable water use by 40 percent and sewer volume by up to 70 percent.
The facility is also expected to use fewer chemicals and require fewer resources overall to treat wastewater, while incorporating natural processes, such as plant life and gravity, for treatment and reducing reliance on energy-intensive machinery and chemicals.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?
