Water Use

Fountain outside the Georgia Tech library.

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a leader in innovative water management policy and research. The Institute's commitment to responsible water usage is reflected throughout the campus. From the laboratory to the dormitory, Georgia Tech makes a conscious effort to study and implement methods to conserve water.

Georgia Tech was an early adopter of water sustainability practices, conserving and capturing rainwater and condensate water through cisterns, rain gardens, and xeriscaping, as well as installing low flow fixtures, as early as 1997. Although the total square footage of buildings on campus has doubled since 2001, water usage has not increased. More importantly, Georgia Tech reduced water use by 23 percent per square foot between 2001 and 2007.

Current water research efforts at Georgia Tech include water purification; reduction of water volume in processes, designs, and techniques in industry and day-to-day life; and the environmental impact of changes in ecosystems affected by water.

Students play an active role in water conservation efforts on campus and around the world. Engineering Students Without Borders (ESWB) envisions a world where every man, woman, and child has access to adequate shelter, water, and sanitation and is empowered with the sustainable resources needed to meet their self-identified engineering and economic needs. Efforts to improve water distribution in Honduras are just one way ESWB encourages sustainable water use around the world. On campus, organizations like Students Organizing for Sustainability, The Green Builders, and The Environmental Alliance work to raise awareness about water usage through lectures and events.