Overview
SMCCCD is committed to reducing its water use by 50% from 2013 levels by 2025. In 2015, the Water Efficiency Program was developed to communicate the District's commitment to water conservation, identify information gaps, and guide program implementation.
Our Goals
1) Reduce District water use by 50% from 2013 levels by 2025
Integrating Equity into Water Systems
According to the Water Education Foundation 2021 report on Achieving Water Equity in California, one million Californians lack access to safe and clean drinking water. With the increasing frequency and severity of droughts, this issue will continue to be a challenge for California, and therefore for our District.
In any water projects undertaken on campus, the Sustainability Team aims to address and center water equity, defined by the US Water Alliance as “access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water and wastewater services” for all people.
By the Numbers
Background Information
Water Efficiency Program
The Water Efficiency Program (WEP) was developed in 2015 outlining the recommended steps needed to achieve our water conservation goals. The document was created with the intent of being a living document continuously updated as the program progresses, environments change, and new goals are set. It was designed to address the following:
1) Water Regulations; keeping up with, meeting, and exceeding local, regional, and state regulation
2) Technological Innovation; investing in hardware, software, and training to improve efficiency
3) Behavior; education and outreach to students, faculty, and staff
4) Value; investing now to avoid increasing costs of a valuable and limited resource
Featured Projects
Irrigation Efficiency Project
In 2019, SMCCCD partnered with CalWater and AquaCents to inject water-conserving hydrogel into the ground at all three campuses. The hydrogel is 100% biodegradable, absorbs 400 times its weight in water, and lasts up to seven years underground. The injection places the gel about six inches below the grass roots, holding a reservoir of water there for the grass to grow deeper to. This encourages deeper roots and a more resilient turf while reducing the need for irrigation as the water is held in place.
