Conserving water is essential in the drought prone southeast. Elon is doing its part in a number of ways.
Within Elon’s buildings . . .
Numerous plumbing fixtures have been replaced with low flow models including toilets, showerheads and faucets. The majority of toilets are now 1.6 gpf or lower. Some facilities on campus have dual flush toilets, such as the Moseley Center and Lindner Hall. There are waterless urinals in Lindner Hall and the Physical Plant building, and ultra low (pint) flush urinals, which use 0.125 gpf compared to 1.0 gpf of standard urinals, are installed in other facilities, such as the Alumni Field House. Low flow showerheads are used throughout campus, and most lavatory faucets and kitchen/break room sinks have aerators or flow restrictors.
Campus dishwashers and washing machines were replaced with Energy Star rated units in 2005. These units not only use less energy but also less water. The estimated savings from the washing machines alone is 2,619,000 gallons of water and $21,437 per year.
Outside Elon’s buildings . . .
The automatic irrigation system on the main campus is supplied with reclaimed stormwater. Go to Landscaping & Grounds for more information on that system.
In 2005, a fountain vacuum was purchased to use in the three campus fountains eliminating the need to drain the fountains for cleaning. A second fountain vacuum was purchased in 2007. Using the vacuums saves 186,720 gallons of water annually! If the fountains do need to be drained for repairs, the water removed is used for irrigation.