Water
Water Conservation
UNM Utility Services provides domestic water to the campus community. Because climate changes pose challenges for the drought-prone Southwest, an area that is expected to get hotter and significantly drier, water-conservation measures are part of all UNM building and grounds and landscaping projects.
Water Facts: The university’s first well was constructed in 1904. In a typical year, the UNM water system delivers about 270 million gallons to the campus.
Some of the greatest water savings come from:
- Conserving over 4 million gallons of water per year by using reverse osmosis in UNM’s heating system.
- Low-flow fixtures in all new construction.
- Programmable, efficient irrigation systems
- Irrigation sensors on campus that have flow sensors with leak detection and capability to monitor evapotranspiration (ET).
- Removing turf and replacing it with drought-tolerant landscaping.
- 7 million gallons of water are saved each year by reusing chiller cooling tower blowdown water for North Golf Course irrigation.
- Utility Services received the “Impact on Water, Efficiency, and the Environment” award from IWE for a project that saves 2.8 million gallons of water a year through using process cooling water in sample coolers at Ford Utilities Center.
Water Quality
The UNM Environmental Health & Safety Department (EHS) and UNM Utility Services work together to maintain quality drinking water for campus consumers. EHS annually produces a drinking water quality report. The report complies with the Safe Drinking Water Act and is delivered via email to all faculty and staff on the Albuquerque campuses.
