UCSD CAMPUS NOTICE University of California, San Diego |
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OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR - AUXILIARY & PLANT SERVICES May 28, 1998 ALL AT UCSD SUBJECT: UCSD Recycled Water Use The City of San Diego is primarily dependent on imported water for domestic and industrial uses. This imported supply is considered limited and its future reliability is uncertain. In July of l989, the San Diego City Council adopted the Water Reclamation Ordinance which provides for the planning of wastewater reclamation facilities, fostering the use of reclaimed water, controlling its safe distribution, and permitting and regulating its use. In support of the City's leadership in developing a system that can provide reclaimed water to the region, the University has made a commitment to use reclaimed water for irrigation on campus. Approximately 25% of UCSD's annual potable water consumption is for landscape irrigation. The areas currently targeted for retrofit are primarily the north campus athletic fields and other select landscaping (the east campus baseball field, landscape areas around Thornton Hospital, and Mesa Housing landscaping.) Public health officials have evaluated the use of reclaimed water for many years and have developed a list of suitable uses, which includes landscaping. A statement of support for the use of reclaimed water has been signed by the U.S. EPA, the California Water Resources Control Board, the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health, the California Department of Water Resources, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the California Department of Health Services. In addition, most people fail to realize that reclaimed water has been successfully used in many parts of the country, and even our own county (Santee Lakes) for decades. The use of reclaimed water on campus is the right thing to do for our environment. In addition, it allows UCSD to be more self-sufficient in the event of another drought, and it will provide an expected annual cost savings to UCSD. Finally, it is our responsibility as an institution of higher learning to set a leadership example in our community by supporting the City in making water reclamation a way of life in San Diego, thus measurably reducing regional use of our scarce potable water resources. Some of the most commonly asked questions regarding reclaimed water follow below for your information. 1. Why should UCSD use reclaimed water? Potable water supplies to UCSD have been reliable in the past, and therefore people forget that water is imported to San Diego. San Diego is literally "at the end of the line" and there are any number of incidents that could cause a water shortage here, including drought. The University is dependent upon water for drinking, sanitation, fire protection, heating, cooling, air conditioning, for conducting research processes, and for landscape irrigation. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to be proactive in seeking alternatives that will not only support University functions and necessities, but will be beneficial to the environment as well. The use of reclaimed water serves both purposes. 2. Are there health concerns for people who come into contact with reclaimed water? No. The reclaimed water UCSD will receive is highly treated, filtered and disinfected through a tertiary treatment process, which reduces the number of total coliform bacteria to a statistical probability of equal to or less than 2.2/100 ml. This level is much lower than what is customarily found in natural surface waters used for recreational purposes, and meets all applicable regulatory requirements for approved recycled water uses. 3. How much potable water does UCSD use for irrigation and what are the cost savings associated with using reclaimed water instead? UCSD uses over a million gallons of water a day and pays over two million dollars per year for water and sewer services. By converting to reclaimed water for irrigation on campus, a cost savings is expected. If you have additional questions, please reference the UCSD web page on recycled water use on campus. http://pps.ucsd.edu/grounds/recycle/ Jack Hug Assistant Vice Chancellor- Auxiliary & Plant Services |