Putting some energy into saving water
Gone are the days when water could be wasted. And while that applies to the entire region, it’s especially important on the campus of California State University, Monterey Bay.
Across campus, faculty, students and staff members are working together to make CSUMB more sustainable. Their work has been recognized by organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and the U.S. Green Building Council.
The latest efforts involve two East Campus housing areas.
Alliance Residential Company, which manages the housing, has taken steps to reduce the amount of water used on the parks and ball fields that dot the Frederick Park and Schoonover Park neighborhoods.
By installing soil-moisture sensors and linking several areas together with a single communications cable and a central controller, the system now automatically knows when water is needed and then applies only the amount required for healthy turf.
“All of the pipe and controllers were replaced to distribute the water more efficiently,” said Jackie Feierman, general manager of East Campus housing.
The cost of the upgrade was covered by the University Corporation, with a small rebate from the Marina Coast Water District.
Over the years, the university has landscaped with drought-tolerant plants that require less water in order to thrive and has reduced water consumption by installing low-flow toilets and waterless urinals.
These small steps add up when it comes to conserving water and reducing the university’s carbon footprint.