Water

Water is among the most vital and limited natural resources. With droughts and water shortages becoming more commonplace in the United States, NC State will continue to increase its efficiency while also making advances to improve the quality of stormwater on campus.

WATER CONSERVATION

Multi-faceted efforts include installing aerators and other water volume-reducing devices to plumbing fixtures, using smart irrigation systems that reduce water use by 40 percent, and implementing trayless dining halls that have saved 51,000 gallons of water per week since 2008.

WATER SUPPLY

When possible, NC State uses water harvesting to meet non-potable water demands. Cisterns at Jordan and Biltmore Halls, Talley Student Union, Wolf Ridge Apartments and Yarbrough Utility Plant collect rainwater, which is used for campus irrigation, power washing and cooling utility plants. Condensate from HVAC systems is also collected and reused. A special water recovery system at Cates Utility Plant saves millions of gallons a year, and a new pipeline on Centennial Campus will supply reuse water (high quality water that has not been treated to safety levels for drinking) for cooling towers at Centennial Campus Utility Plant and for toilet flushing at James B. Hunt Jr. Library.

WATER QUALITY

Like many municipalities, NC State incorporates best management practices to address stormwater quality and quantity on campus. The goal of this effort is to reduce pollutants — such as heavy metals, sediment, nutrients, oil and toxic substances — from entering local waterways.

WATER RESEARCH

NC State has many ongoing research studies related to water, primarily through its Water Resources, Coastal and Environmental Engineering programs. There’s also active research in Stormwater Engineering and the Water Resources Research Institute at NC State supports statewide outreach and research related to water resources.

WATER NEWS | All Posts

Nov 11, 2022 | Research, Water, Wellness

Wastewater, Syndromic COVID-19 Surveillance Are Important Pieces of COVID-Monitoring Toolkit

Wastewater and syndromic surveillance monitoring are useful complements to lab-confirmed case surveillance during a pandemic.

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To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Wetlands, Just Add (Fresh) Water

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Oct 3, 2022 | climate, Students, Water

Students and Coastal Dynamics Design Lab Team Take Top Honors in ASLA National Awards

Students in the College of Design’s Master of Landscape Architecture program received four of the 19 national student awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects this year. The Coastal Dynamics Design Lab won their third award in the last five years for their commitment to delivering world-class technical assistance at no direct cost to low-resource, historically underserved rural communities.