Water

Plans and policies

The University is committed to reduce water consumption and pollution, and this is reflected in several documents:

• The Sustainability Policy, which dictates that the University will develop, maintain, and operate sustainable campuses, both built and natural environments, through applying outcomes driven sustainable design principles, assurance frameworks and operational tools.
• The University's Strategic Framework for Sustainability highlights the intention to "maintain a perfect record of no stormwater pollution control incidents".
• The Contractors and Building Users Sustainability Guide (PDF 303KB) assist all University contractors, staff, students, and visitors to be more sustainable in their activities on University properties. The Guide indicates that reducing water use and stormwater pollution is a key sustainability priority.  Section 4 covers water efficiency and quality and includes actions such as requiring Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) in fittings and appliances for all building and refurbishments.
• University’s landscaping providers are required by contract to be water efficient .
• The Chemical Management Principles indicate the proper way to dispose of hazardous chemicals to avoid water pollution, in accordance with the relevant State and local regulations. It also provides guidance to prevent and control accidental spills to avoid land and water contamination.

Reporting

UTAS is a member of Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association (TEFMA) which requires Universities to report annually on a range of activities, including sustainability factors such as water management. Anonymised results are published annually on the TEFMA website, but each reporting institution can login to benchmark their reports against others.

We also report on water use and water management initiatives via the Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System (STARS). The University became the first Australasian STARS rated institution, achieving a Silver rating in August 2020, and Gold rating in June 2022.  We are on track and working hard to achieve a Platinum rating by 2025 while putting in place programs, guidelines, and approaches that will ensure these changes are here for the long term and provide the holistic base that will support our continuing sustainability journey.

Carbon neutral certification

The University of Tasmania was the second University to be certified carbon neutral in Australia. Greenhouse gas emissions from the University’s water consumption and wastewater disposal are calculated, reported and offset.

The energy intensity of water use (also called virtual or embedded/embodied energy) is the total amount of energy required for the use of a given amount of water in a specific location. This includes the energy required for water treatment and distribution, as well as wastewater treatment and disposal. Therefore, using only the water that you need will contribute to reducing the University’s greenhouse gas emissions.

To meet its commitment to water use and pollution reduction, UTAS has water harvesting, water treatment and water efficiency infrastructure currently in place across its three Tasmanian campuses. Over the coming years, it is envisaged that water harvesting capacity and water efficiency will continue to improve through infrastructure upgrades and behaviour change initiatives. Some examples of key initiatives are:

Water treatment, discharge and other initiatives to reduce land, freshwater and marine water pollution

The University's Strategic Framework for Sustainability commits to water conservation and highlights the intention to "maintain a perfect record of no stormwater pollution control incidents" to protect our land and aquatic ecosystems. The University is subject to stormwater and trade waste regulatory requirements, to ensure no pollutants are discharged into the stormwater and local waterways.

• Wastewater treatment is conducted on-site at specialised University facilities. For example, the Experimental Aquaculture Facility (Institute of Marine and Antarctic Sciences) in Taroona has integrated wastewater treatment for discharge from research experiments for release into an existing outfall.
• At the Small Animal Farm (Cambridge) facility and other experimental farms, water from septic and holding tanks feeds into a reed bed, where it’s treated (water trickling through the reedbed is cleaned by microorganisms living on the root system and in the litter).
• Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) wetlands were installed in some locations (e.g., TUSA car park at Sandy Bay Campus) to slow down, filter and evapotranspirate stormwater run-off, to slow and clean water entering the stormwater drainage system that empties into the Derwent River.
• Drainage and grease traps exist at relevant locations in various campuses (e.g., cafes).
• All other wastewater is treated by TasWater in Tasmania (the single state-wide utility), including primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. In some cases, TasWater is able to recycle the treated water and biosolids from treatment plants for suitable farming applications.
• The Field Building in West Park campus has a green roof, which captures and filters rainwater, and slows its release to the city’s stormwater system, resulting in improved water quality and a cleaner discharge to natural waterways.
• The University's Chemical Management Principles indicate the proper way to dispose of hazardous chemicals to avoid water pollution, in accordance with the relevant State and local regulations. It also provides guidance to prevent and control accidental spills to avoid land and water contamination.

Water recycling/reuse

• Rainwater harvesting in several facilities across Tasmania (660kL capacity) with rainwater being reused for toilet flushing mainly.
• The rainwater harvesting system at Inveresk Architecture Building is connected to infrastructure at the Fine Furniture Building to enable the watering of the newly installed communal food and native plant garden beds.
• The Australian Maritime College cavitation tunnel tanks are used for demineralisation and storage of water for reuse in the cavitation tunnel experiments. Additionally, the Towing Tank and Model Test Basin, as well as IMAS Experimental Aquaculture Facility, also reuse water used in research, resulting in considerable water savings.

Water conscious planting and irrigation (including water extraction)

• Our West Park campus features a green roof including water-conscious plants such as natives that are tolerant of the site’s conditions and will require low maintenance. It is a closed water system so the rainwater is collected and used for irrigation.
• Further, the West Park site landscape is extensively planted to create a combination of natural areas and parkland to provide a high-quality University campus setting. Planting selections are chosen to provide character and aesthetic qualities as well as to be low maintenance and waterwise. Likewise, the University's Inveresk campus, currently under construction with the major landscaped areas complete, specifies the use of Tasmanian native plants in landscaping as a key strategy. These plantings are waterwise, low maintenance, hardy and tolerant of the site conditions.
• University’s landscaping providers are required by contract to be water efficient
• In a few instances, water is extracted from dams or rivers (e.g., University’s research/demonstration farms). In those cases, extraction is conducted in a sustainable way.
  • The Cambridge Farm uses the Tasmanian Irrigation Scheme, which delivers water for irrigation to farmers using sustainable water extraction technologies. The Tasmanian Irrigation website states that “all schemes developed and operated by Tasmanian Irrigation are (…) environmentally sustainable”.
  • The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture’s (TIA) Vegetable Research Facility and Dairy Research Farm irrigate from an on-farm dam and therefore no natural water body or aquifer is damaged.

Water consumption and wastewater data

• Water consumption data infographic (PDF  181KB) for latest and previous years

• Greenhouse gas emissions from University water use and wastewater
• For other data, contact water.utas@utas.edu.au

You can browse the list of completed Sustainability Integration Program for Students (SIPS)  projects, grants and awards to find initiatives that have helped UTAS reduce water consumption and wastewater production.

• SIPS projects
• Grants and awards

There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you. Remember, every drop counts!

• Participate in the  Sustainability Integration Program for Students  (SIPS) with a sustainable water related project.

All staff and students

• Report leaking toilets and faucets. To report a leak, please contact Campus Services (Campus.Services@utas.edu.au). A silent toilet leak could waste from 100 to 1,000 litres every day!
• Don't use the toilet as a trash can. Each time you flush the toilet you use up to 9 litres of clean water.
• Bring a refillable water bottle to campus to avoid using a drinking fountain that can use more water than a person drinks.
• When using a drinking fountain, let go of the button/handle when pausing for a breath.

Residents

• Take shorter showers. Take a timer, clock, or stopwatch into the bathroom with you and challenge yourself to cut down your showering time. Three to four minute showers is a best practice goal.
• Wait until you have a full load of clothes before you wash them. Also, be sure to use the economy mode and this will save both water and electricity! You can save up to 3,000 litres a month.
• Turn the tap off while you are brushing your teeth, shaving, doing dishes, and so on.
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
• Don't use running water to thaw food. Defrost food in the refrigerator for water efficiency and food safety or, if you are in a hurry, use the defrost function of the microwave oven.
• Report leaking toilets and faucets. To report a leak, please contact Campus Services (Campus.Services@utas.edu.au). A silent toilet leak could waste from 100 to 1,000 litres every day!
• Don't use your toilet as a trash can. Each time you flush the toilet you use up to 9 litres of clean water.

To support sustainable transport initiatives, please download this poster and display it in your area:

• Water campaign poster (PDF 204.4 KB)

For more information on water, contact water.utas@utas.edu.au.