Cynthia Teniente-Matson: Fresno State takes water conservation seriously

Fresno State has a heritage of urban farming intersecting with planned growth, limited natural resources and innovative applied research in water technology.

Water is a precious resource in the Valley, and Fresno State takes its responsibility to curtail usage seriously. Our campus remains committed to modeling responsible environmental practices, including water conservation. We were named among the nation’s top “Green Colleges” for the third consecutive year last spring by The Princeton Review. Fresno State was cited for its solar power-generating parking structures, eco-friendly library and earth-friendly initiatives.

Last January, Gov. Jerry Brown called for all Californians to reduce their water consumption by 20% by 2020. Fresno State has modified its operations to conserve water and reduce waste, and our conservation efforts are paying off.

Since July, we have reduced monthly water consumption 20% to 30%, well ahead of the governor’s goal. Next year, we expect to reduce our annual water usage by more than 60 million gallons. The average bathtub holds 50 gallons of water, so our savings will be 1.2 million bathtubs of water!

We recognize Fresno State is a significant water consumer, serving more than 23,000 students across our 327-acre campus with a 3,500-plus tree arboretum and a 1,083-acre University Agricultural Lab. We are taking serious steps to reduce consumption, including:

• Reducing run times on irrigation controllers.

• Repairing or replacing wasteful, broken or leaking sprinklers with low-flow sprinkler heads.

• Automating and upgrading irrigation existing irrigation systems that enable us to reduce water usage, while still maintaining a healthy landscape.

• Directing runoff water into our campus wide storm drain system and ponding basin where water recharges the aquifer or is used to irrigate Fresno State farm land.

• Installing AquaCents polymer in critical landscapes. The polymer, injected into the soil, helps retain moisture and reduces sprinkler run times by up to 40%.

• Upgrading our well systems into a coordinated sustainable water network. We recently installed a pipe system that connects two wells on campus to the irrigation basin. These wells were no longer usable as a domestic water supply, and we now get the nitrite out of the ground water supply and use it on the farm where plants can use the nitrogen.

• Utilizing modified fertilizer blends where we are only putting in nutrients that plants need.

• Replacing the “thirsty” landscape plants across campus with drought-tolerant and native species.

• Plumbing new buildings for potable and reclaimed water.

• Deploying soil-moisture sensing technologies on the Fresno State farm that use water more efficiently such as center pivot irrigation, drip irrigation, micro sprinkler irrigation and smart irrigation controllers. The farm has completed its first ever “water budget” for every crop and field.

• Managing a regional water-efficiency program, to move water, which saved approximately 100 million kWh of energy use on farms and municipalities in the first year.

 To irrigate our campus, we have more than 36,000 sprinklers and 10 acres of drip hose. Throughout the fall, we encouraged students, staff and faculty to report water waste or leaky faucets, toilets or sprinklers. This effort yielded remarkable results by alerting our facilities team to undiscovered sources of waste, which we address in a timely manner.

Our campus is engaged in numerous practical activities that demonstrate water conservation while educating the community as well. For example, the Sustainability Project created a water-wise demonstration garden near our Science II building featuring drought-tolerant native species and signs to describe the plants and their proper care. And we provide educational programs to the public and hundreds of local farmers on efficient water-use practices.

When it comes to water conservation, we are implementing some of the most contemporary ideas in water management and technology along with encouraging our campus community to embrace innovative practices.

Fresno State is a hallmark of an engaged “green” learning laboratory with sustainability initiatives that can be replicated throughout the Valley. We will continue to strive to exceed our conservation goals and make every drop of water count.

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