In close partnership with UCSF Facilities Services, we work to reduce water consumption by implementing creative solutions in all facets of campus and healthcare. Water conservation projects includes installing high-efficiency fixtures, improving steam infrastructure, replacing old lab equipment, and reductions to landscaping irrigation and water recycling at the Parnassus Central Utilities Plant.
Water Conservation
UCSF maximizes conservation of fixtures and equipment, while developing water recovery projects. The Engineering & Utilities Energy & Water team is focusing on opportunities to store and re-use water from various sources, replace old research equipment, and achieve energy savings. Projects are evaluated based on return on investment of water and energy savings. UCSF Water conservation strategy is based on: UCOP Sustainable Practices Policy
- Water Efficiency: High-efficiency fixtures have been installed throughout UCSF. Laboratories that want to replace faucet flow restrictors with 1.5gpm laminar flow restrictors can contact: Eliahu.Perszyk@ucsf.edu
- Water Recycling: Studies are in development analyzing water recovery and re-use at campus buildings. The Parnassus Central Plant re-uses reverse osmosis reject water as make-up to the cooling tower system, saving 3.5 million gallons per year.
- Autoclaves: Autoclaves can consume between 125,000-1,000,000 gallons of water per year due to once-through water cooling, where water flows through equipment to absorb heat and goes down the drain without re-circulation. Facilities Services works with researchers to replace old autoclaves with new high efficiency equipment.
- Water Metering: Smart water meters are tied into the building management system across the campus. This advanced metering infrastructure is used to identify efficiency opportunities and monitor system performance.
Autoclaves
- Equipment Incentive
- Autoclaves can consume between 125,000-1,000,000 gallons of water per year due to once-through water cooling. When autoclaves are not operating properly, isufficient sterilization may affect research results. Facilities Services has an incentive program for laboratories to replace sterilizers, which also works with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Incentive Program. Contact Eliahu.Perszyk@ucsf.edu
- Once-through Water Cooling: ‘Single Pass’ or ‘Once Through’ cooling systems flow water through a piece of equipment to absorb heat and dispose the water down the drain without re-circulation. Equipment typically using this type of cooling includes autoclaves, hydraulic equipment, distillation condensers, refrigeration condensers, air compressors, vacuum pumps, electron microscopes, mass spectrometers, lasers, helium recovery, and electro magnets.
- Purified Water Systems: High water quality standards for laboratory research may require the use of de-mineralized or de-ionized water through reverse osmosis systems. Stand-alone RO systems reject 25-50% of source water directly into the drain. UCSF supplies centralized Type III purified water in the range of 0.71-0.82 ms and captures the reject water for reuse. In today’s drought conditions, this is an important consideration.
- Ways to Save Water in your Lab: Check out our Green Lab's webpage for water-saving strategies
Housing
Since 2014, Housing has been replacing showerheads with high efficiency models and installing aerators on faucets. As a result, water consumption has been reduced by 14%.
- Cut back your personal water use: take shorter showers, limit baths, don’t let water run from the faucet, and use a dishwasher if you have one instead of hand washing. Just shortening your shower by a minute or two could save up to 150 gallons of water per month.
- Check faucets and toilets for leaks and repair them as quickly as possible. Even a small leak wastes gallons of water. If you spot a leak anywhere at UCSF, you can report it to facilities management by calling 415-476-2021, and they will come at no charge to repair the leak.
Fitness
- Pool Filtration: The Fitness Center installed an ultraviolet filtration system, which allows the pool to only be drained when maintenance is required.
- Shower Efficiency: Fitness encourages all members to limit their showers to 3 minutes or less. If members have children using the facility for swim lessons, parents are asked to make sure children also limit showers to 3 minutes or less.
Landscape
Water Efficient Landscape
UCSF landscape irrigation is managed by software which controls watering according to precipitation and evapotranspiration rates. Currently, irrigation is about 3% of total water consumption.
Drought
California continues to experience persistent drought conditions as climate change impacts increase.
UCSF receives water from the SFPUC. The SFPUC website has many resources for water conservation, and programs for San Francisco residents: SFPUC Website
In close partnership with UCSF Facilities Services, we work to reduce water consumption by implementing creative solutions in all facets of campus and healthcare.
