UIC recognized for campus water conservation and reuse

UIC has been recognized as a top performer in the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index, ranking eighth for water conservation and reuse. The index is produced by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and recognizes top-performing colleges and universities for their sustainability efforts. Institutions are measured across 17 impact areas through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System.

“This is a great accomplishment for UIC given our urban campus,” said Andy Mitchell, assistant vice chancellor and director of sustainability. “Being recognized for our water conservation and rainwater management efforts validates our ongoing work to become a fully sustainable university.”

According to AASHE, water conservation and effective rainwater and wastewater management diminish the need to discharge wastewater into local surface water supplies. In Chicago, this improves the health of local water ecosystems such as the Chicago River.

UIC receives 37.83 inches of rainfall per year on its 244-acre campus, an equivalent of 251 million gallons of stormwater. On average, the university uses 660,000,000 gallons of water annually. To be truly sustainable, UIC is working to consume no more water than what falls naturally and is why becoming a Net Zero Water Campus was established as one of the university’s Climate Commitments.

With more than 900 participants in 40 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Used by hundreds of colleges and universities, STARS helps institutions measure, report and strengthen their contributions to global sustainability.

You can learn more about UIC’s water conservation efforts on the Sustainability website.