Water Conservation-A School Looks Again and the Savings May Surprise You

摘要

With modest effort over the past two years, we have reduced demand and costs for water by approximately 15%. As the largest water customer in a small village district, we have also lightened the energy load on the water supply system and wastewater treatment plant, which in turn has also reduced our carbon footprint. Deerfield's success should be a call to attention for boarding schools and colleges everywhere that think water savings are hard to find. Deerfield Academy is an independent boarding school in Deerfield, MA, with a campus population of around 650 students and 500 faculty and staff members. We have more than 30 campus buildings including a dining hall, two small cafes, an athletic complex, and 16 dormitories. Approximately 120 faculty live on campus in dormitory-based apartments or single and two-family houses. Potable water is supplied by the Deerfield Fire District. In mid-2013, Deerfield Academy's annual use was 15.2 million gallons, which was then about 40% of the entire demand served by the district.