Higher Ed Dive Trendline on Campus Facilities
As drought warnings are issued across many parts of the United States, campus facilities management teams are actively upgrading water resource management systems and irrigation practices. Auburn University is strengthening water conservation in coordination with municipal water restrictions, Western Washington University plans to install water meters and evaluate the use of reclaimed water, the University of Utah continues to reduce water consumption, and Texas A&M International University achieves annual water savings of over 24.8 million gallons through smart systems.
How universities are saving water
University facility teams are responding to drought warnings by upgrading their institutions’ water management systems and irrigation practices, reports show.
As warm weather rolls in across the country, bringing drought warnings in some areas, universities are stepping up their conservation practices and boosting their operating systems to reduce consumption.
At Auburn University in Alabama, the facilities management team is helping the city of Auburn comply with a Phase II Drought Warning issued on May 1 that includes mandatory water restrictions for residential and commercial properties. Although the university isn’t required to comply with residential regulations, according to Dan Whatley, associate vice president of facilities operations at the university, the facilities team has opted to “support more aggressive conservation practices.”
In addition to its already established water conservation efforts, which include the use of low-flow faucets and toilets, automated meter reading to reduce water use and identify leaks, and drip irrigation systems, the facilities team is washing the university’s vehicles, walkways and buildings less and flushing hydrants less often. It’s also trying to be smarter about watering plants, it says.
“We’re reducing watering every chance we can get,” Justin Sutton, director of landscape services at Auburn University, said in a statement. “Most of our watering is done overnight to lessen water loss due to evaporation, and we utilize soak and cycle irrigation programs to reduce runoff. If we do water during the day, it’s only recently landscaped areas that require water so the plants can establish in the landscape.”
Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., plans to install water meters on buildings that don’t have them, coordinate campus-wide water audits and assess the potential for reclaimed water for irrigation, according to the university’s 2025-2030 grounds priorities report, published in conjunction with the Sustainability Engagement Institute.
“Besides reducing water use from Lake Whatcom, reclaimed water typically leads to 30-50% reductions in potable water consumption for irrigation, resulting in notable cost savings over time,” the report says. The university also intends to provide training and communication to raise awareness of water infrastructure, including how daily habits affect water use.
The University of Utah is lowering water use as Salt Lake County faces moderate to severe drought following a winter of record-low snowpack, the Daily Utah Chronicle reported. The university, which is the second-highest water user in the state behind farms and ranches, consumed 1,072,713 centum cubic feet of water in 2025, down 101,600 CCF from the year prior.
“Water is used more heavily during the summer months due to irrigation, general outdoor water use and evaporative cooling in cooling towers,” Lissa Larson, associate director of sustainability and energy at university, said in a statement.
Since 2015, when it was named the highest municipal consumer of water, the university has cut water use by 55 million gallons, in part by reducing the amount of Kentucky Bluegrass on campus, the Daily Utah Chronicle reported. The university is shifting away from bluegrass, known for its lush color, to drought-tolerant plants and irrigation controllers, among other things, according to Larson.
Following requests by student groups, the university is also working to publicize usage amounts through a sustainability dashboard that will include monthly water use, energy use, transportation and emissions data, the Chronicle reported.
Smart systems curb water use
Texas A&M International University in Laredo is taking steps to reduce water use through a partnership with Schneider Electric that has been building since 2017. Through the agreement, the university entered into a multi-phase energy savings performance contract with the company on several water-focused upgrades, including expanding an electric and chilled water metering system, extending chilled water piping and chiller replacements, upgrading building controls across campus and improving irrigation controls, according to a release by Schneider.
As part of the effort, the university is adopting multiple digital tools from Schneider Electric, including its EcoStruxure resource advisor and Building Advisor systems and its capital asset planning program.
The university has so far decreased campus utility consumption by 33%, with water conservation measures helping to save more than 24.8 million gallons of water annually, or the equivalent annual water consumption of 680 people, Schneider said.