Water Conservation and Waste Water Reduction

While Connecticut's current water supply is ample, conservation is critical to protecting regional water quality. At Southern, the following measures save many thousands of gallons of water each year:

• Electronic faucets and flush-o-meters have been installed in many locations to minimize water usage. The university will continue to install these fixtures in all renovated and newly constructed buildings.
• Water saving flow restrictors in all faucets and showers

In the future, Southern will incorporate community water conservation initiatives and water use education into campus life and operations.

All water which flows down drains at Southern is piped and treated at one of New Haven's waste water facilities. This is an energy intensive process which costs money, and these facilities operate more efficiently when they are at partial capacity. New Haven, like many of New England's older cities, has combined stormwater and sewage outflow. In heavy rains, flow from these pipes is diverted from the treatment facility so that it does not flood, and a percentage of New Haven's raw sewage temporarily flows directly into Long Island Sound.