Sustainable Water Infrastructure Contacts
Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Water & Energy Efficiency by Sectors
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EPA Programs & Resources
Additional Resources
- Alliance to Save Energy
offers educators a wide range of tools and resources to bring energy efficiency into the classroom to save energy while helping students build vital real-world skills. - The mission of Collaborative for High Performance Schools is to facilitate the design, construction and operation of high performance schools: environments that are not only energy and resource efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities for a quality education.
- From the student to the teacher to the environmental professional, Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE) provides the resources and knowledge to establish strong environmental practices and programs.
- National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities recommends links, books, and journal articles on water efficiency, water recycling, and plumbing issues in school buildings and grounds.
- GreenPlumbers is an innovative, national training and accreditation program that assists plumbers in understanding their role in the environment and public health. The organization’s goal is to train and deploy a green army of thousands of plumbers to promote the benefits of water conservation and the reduction of GHG emissions.
How Can Water and Energy Be Used More Efficiently?
Schools—from elementary schools to universities— use a lot of water. Schools require water for heating and cooling systems, restrooms, drinking water faucets, locker rooms, cafeterias, laboratories, on outdoor playing fields, and for landscaping.
Saving energy saves water. Schools can save energy by replacing older products with ENERGYSTAR models, which use less energy, save money, and help protect the environment.
Renewable energy options—like solar, geothermal, and wind—use negligible amounts of water compared to conventional sources of energy (e.g. coal and nuclear); investing in renewables invests in water conservation!
For example, schools can save water directly by replacing older dishwashers with ENERGYSTAR models and by replacing antiquated water-guzzling toilets and faucets with WaterSense models. You can also save water by repairing water leaks and leaky toilets, and by installing toilet dams on older models.
Schools can also save water through an even more precious resource: students. From elementary schools teaching kids about local watersheds to community colleges and universities preparing young adults to become water-efficiency professionals, our educational institutions can lead the way in changing the way we value and use water.
Knowledge is power, and it can save water and energy!
Case Studies
- Chartwell School buildings use 60% less water than conventional buildings.Chartwell conserves water through state-of-the-art fixtures, water-efficient landscaping, and a cistern for rainwater storage and use.
- Tree People’s Rainwater as a Resource describes a stormwater management demonstration project at Hillery T. Broadous Elementary School in Los Angeles. The project was designed to provide a working demonstration of a multi-benefit, multi-agency approach to managing the urban environment while addressing site-specific problems. By capturing, treating and infiltrating stormwater that used to flood and run off the campus, the project turned stormwater into a resource, alleviating flooding on campus (allowing students to access classrooms that were isolated on rainy days), reducing energy use by shading air conditioning units, shading play areas to improve student health and safety, and creating green recreation space and outdoor education areas.
- Lane Community College's Water Conservation Technician program is a career-technical curriculum offered as a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree. It trains individuals to evaluate water use patterns; develop, implement, maintain and market conservation programs; perform public outreach; recommend water efficiency techniques; and perform systems analysis to solve problems.
- University of Arizona has responded to growing public and professional interest in water policy by establishing a new Graduate Certificate in Water Policy. The Certificate builds on the world-renowned expertise of UA faculty and programs in all aspects of water resources.