In the 2021/22 academic year we have seen a significant decrease in annual water usage to levels below any previous year's use (baseline data 2012/13). This reduction can be attributed primarily to our redevelopment programs (an increase in use will be seen when some buildings come back online), but lower occupancy rates alongside our proactive conservation and efficiency measures would also have contributed to this decrease.
Reducing our water use and wastage is important to us, we deliver this in three key ways:
- The installation of water efficient showers, taps and toilets in our buildings with all new developments requiring a high level of water efficient fixtures and fittings.
- Our smart water meter loggers and on-line portal provides ‘real time’ data and alarms, enabling us to find hidden water leaks.
- Rainwater harvesting at our Headington Campus and Clive Booth Student Village captures rainwater for use in toilets and irrigation.
We provide free drinking water at all our catering outlets (and other locations throughout our campuses) to encourage the use of refillable water bottles. This also helps reduce the amount of plastic waste generated from single-use water bottles.
For more information, see our Water Strategy and Water Reduction Action Plan.