Goal 6 - Institutional Stewardship Initiatives

Institutional Stewardship Initiatives

City of Edmonton Drainage Services Bylaw

The University of Alberta Utilities Group operates (North Campus) or manages (remaining campuses) the storm and sanitary system for the university; wastewater is then sent for treatment at local municipal facilities. Wastewater treatment is subject to bylaw 18093 (drainage bylaw). Water quality standards and guidelines ensure the protection of ecosystems, wildlife and human health and welfare.

CONSERVE

New sustainable on-farm solutions are needed so that agricultural producers can conserve groundwater through the safe use of nontraditional irrigation water sources. CONSERVE (COordinating Nontraditional Sustainable watER use in Variable climatEs) is facilitating the adoption of solutions to reduce agricultural water challenges exacerbated by climate change.

Managing Water Risks

The University of Alberta has policies, processes and guidelines to prevent polluted water from entering the water system, either as a result of accidents/incidents on campus or otherwise, including: guidelines on how to package hazardous waste; a process for hazardous waste pick up and disposal; Biosafety Guidelines for use and storage of biological materials; a policy on assignment of accountability for Environmental Management; and Health, Safety, and Environment Responsibilities

North Campus Open Space Plan

The North Campus Open Space Plan, released in 2014, includes sustainability as a key consideration for space planners. Section 5.6 provides strategies to limit the use of potable water for landscape irrigation and instead incorporate rainwater, stormwater and grey water as assets. Elsewhere, the plan prioritizes native plants that are drought tolerant, and it calls for rainwater retaining infrastructure such as wetlands, bioswales, rain gardens and green roofs.

Water management plan

The University of Alberta’s Watego Water Management Plan is one of several Major Projects that are designed to reduce the University of Alberta's environmental impact. The management plan provides a university-wide water stewardship framework that sets a way forward for water use reductions, infrastructure upgrades in washrooms and labs, behaviour change campaigns and pilots of innovative technologies.

 

Water reuse activities

Water reuse is the method of recycling treated water for beneficial purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial processes, toilet flushing, and groundwater replenishment. Explore the University of Alberta's initiatives using the Interactive Project Map and through the The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System report. 

Water Reuse at the University of Alberta 

The University of Alberta reuses water across various initiatives, see below for extensive examples. Through the capture and reuse of fire pump test water, rain water, and other initiatives, the University of Alberta reuses over approximately 25,000 gallons of water. 

Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences (CCIS) underground cistern 

An underground cistern was installed on the west side of CCIS in 2013. Fire pump test water is captured and transferred to a 95,000 litre cistern for temporary storage. The saved water from the cistern is transferred to a portable tank to be used for irrigation and water features on campus.

Augustana Campus 
Augustana Campus has one 1500 gallon underground tank that collects water from the campus’ grass swales, two 250 gallon above ground tanks which collect rain water from the roof of the Facilities Building, and an additional 100 gallon tank which collects rain water from the Auxiliary Building. The water that is collected is used for irrigation on campus.

Campus Gardens 

The Campus Community Gardens at the North Campus, Campus Saint-Jean and Augustana Campus are irrigated with rainwater collected in barrels. Augustana community garden collects water in a 100 gallon tank for the Campus Garden. The North Campus community garden collects water in two 55 gallon rain barrels and a small 25 gallon tub which is reused to water the gardens. 

Triffo Hall 

Triffo Hall collects rainwater in a below-grade storage tank system and uses it for toilet flushing to reduce potable water use.

East Campus Village

Porous paving in the East Campus Village residences area allows for water to infiltrate into soil.

University of Alberta Botanic Garden

The University of Alberta Botanic Garden has slow ditches, a parking lot runoff collection well and buffered riparian areas to help manage groundwater.