Resource efficiency
In buildings, campuses use a variety of technologies to decrease water usage, primarily low flow faucets and shower heads and water efficient toilets. Some buildings reuse grey water to flush toilets, greatly reducing the use of potable water in a building.
Stormwater Management
The campuses have incorporated various forms of green infrastructure to help better manage stormwater on our grounds. Water that falls on our roofs, parking lots, streets, lawns, and all of earth’s surfaces collects various contaminants and particles as it travels across surfaces. Traditional gray infrastructure uses pipes, culverts, waste water treatment plants, etc. to primarily move water away from the built environment, often collecting and depositing contaminants in our local waterways and/or overwhelming the capacity of the same systems designed to accept it. Green infrastructure seeks to reduce stormwater runoff by treating more water at its source, providing environmental, social, and economic benefits, like reduced flooding, more livable communities, etc. Seattle Colleges utilizes green roofs, rain gardens, parking lot bioswales, and other green infrastructure designs to treat and reduce stormwater runoff.
