Prior water conservation efforts net campus a 30 percent reduction in water use

By Mike Taylor

Walnut – Coming on the heels of Gov. Jerry Brown’s mandatory water reduction plan, Mt. San Antonio College is in the process of initiating its own plan that could realize a reduction in water use at the college of up to 50 percent over a ten-year period. The current water conservation master plan is actually a continuation of campus efforts to reduce water use that began in 2007.
“Our programs are driven by cost savings, which are considerable, but also by the knowledge that as a large institution in the San Gabriel Valley, we must be smart and responsible in how we manage all of the earth’s valuable resources,” said Mt. SAC Administrative Services Vice President, Michael Gregoryk.
Reclaimed water use, landscaping redesign, improved irrigation systems, the use of technology, and the addition of two new wells all figure highly in Mt. SAC’s multifaceted water conservation master plan. With the plan, the college is looking at saving an additional 100 acre-feet of water per year when it is fully implemented. An acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons.
One part of the plan will look at replacing turf areas on campus with California native landscapes, which require much less water. In some areas, artificial surfaces may be an option as well.
An extension of the campus’ computerized irrigation control system is also on the table. The system reduces water waste by adjusting irrigation times and frequency according to temperature, winds, and humidity data. The campus already uses a computerized irrigation system for the main campus areas. The system expansion would include the farm pasture and rangelands.
On the 421-acre campus, the Mt. SAC farm comprises 75 acres. Athletic fields take up 18 acres, and 22 acres are devoted to the college’s wildlife sanctuary. Another 40 acres are rangeland for grazing. All of these areas have traditionally required irrigation or other water use.
But potential partnerships with local agencies for reclaimed water to use on pasture land are expected to make a big difference as the college moves from potable water to reclaimed water sources to irrigate rangeland and athletic fields.
Mt. SAC is also looking at adding two new wells to the existing three campus wells that will result in up to 60 acre-feet of water savings per year and will be used for irrigation of farm pastures and rangeland. The addition of two new wells will have a huge impact on the conservation effort.
Other strategies to achieve the water conservation goals include drip-line irrigation and the construction of a 1 million gallon domestic storage reservoir.
Yet the ambitious plan appears even more noteworthy when one considers that Mt. SAC has already realized a 30 percent reduction in water use since 2007. Faced with drought conditions eight years ago, college officials devised a strategy that would help the campus reduce its water use.
“In 2007, Mt. SAC took the lead in water conservation,” said Gregoryk. “They didn’t have to tell us we had to do it. We just did it. The 25 percent in water savings that the governor is now requiring, Mt. SAC achieved years ago.”
Prior to 2006, the college used an average of 598 acre-feet of water per year. But by 2013, water use dropped to 412 acre-feet per year, a reduction of 30 percent potable water and 16 percent in overall water use.
One of factors for that reduction was the rehabilitation of the three existing water wells on campus. The wells produce an average 90 acre-feet of non-potable water every year, which is used for irrigation on the college’s soccer and baseball fields and pond recharge in the wildlife sanctuary.
Another factor that helped the college realize a 30 percent reduction in water use is the practice of replacing old facilities with new energy and water efficient buildings that adhere to the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Since 2003, 30 new facilities have been built on campus, and these have been landscape-designed for water conservation.
“As Mt. SAC continues to grow, so will our commitment to the environment,” Gregoryk said.