With 500 buildings and more than 40,000 students and employees, UVA is a big consumer of water and energy. But, as Director of Energy and Utilities Cheryl Gomez explained when the University met with members of various city neighborhood associations, members of City Council and of the city’s Planning Commission at its annual Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting, the University has implemented its green mission by using renewable and recoverable resources and finding solutions to stormwater problems.
Gomez said that about 12 years ago, UVA had a “pretty abysmal approach to stormwater,” by putting water in pipes and sending it down to the streams and “off to the Chesapeake.” Today, stormwater amenities take the form of landscaped ponds on the edges of campus that gather water in a more environmentally sensitive manner. Those ponds, said Gomez, “have turned into gathering places, like mini-communities.”
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As part of the annual Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting, Heat Plant Manager Kent Knicely lead local community leaders on a tour of the upgraded coal-powered facility. |
In terms of water, a resource at the center of contentious discussion in the city, UVA is using 30 percent less than 10 years ago, despite an increase of almost 35 percent of square footage as well as an increase in the number of students and faculty.
The University buys its water from the city, which in turn buys it from the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority. As residents asked whether UVA has taken a stand in the water battle within the city, Gomez said their only commitment was to “reducing the amount of water we need to use here to run the University,” without getting involved in the politics. Gomez also touched on the recycling effort, which was improved when UVA decided to stop demolitions and start reusing and upgrading existing buildings.
Jeff Sitler, environmental compliance manager, reported the recent successes of the green dining campaign. By having the dining hall at Observatory Hill, where the campaign was first tested, go trayless, water usage decreased by 30 percent. Sitler said he can already see “changes in how the environment is viewed,” from the administration to the students.
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