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Fish swimming in an aquarium

Every drop counts!

Water Management at the University of Ottawa

We want to create a campus that uses water from the environment responsibly and provides accessible water options to the campus community.

 

Vision

To use no more water than the amount of precipitation that naturally falls on campus

 

Goal

Reduce water consumption by 2% per year and encourage the use of grey water instead of drinking water

 

Progress

  • The University of Ottawa was one of the first universities in Canada to ban bottled water on its campus.
  • More than $250,000 was invested to improve the drinking water system across campus.

 

Sustainability Programs

Bottled Water at uOttawa

an empty plastic bottle

In 2010, the University of Ottawa became the first bottled water free campus in Ontario. Working with the Student Union and Food Services, the campus was able to ban the sale of bottled water and bring awareness about water access issues to the campus. To ensure that the campus community still had access to free water, Facilities Service installed water fountains all over the campus. Each year, the Office of Campus Sustainability does audits of the campus water fountain network to ensure it is operating at the highest quality.

Water Fountain Renewal

a water fountain at uOttawa

A pivotal part of being a bottled water free campus is the constant revitalization of the drinking fountains on campus. The Facilities and Sustainability team, as the stewards of the water infrastructure network on campus, undertake the task of surveying all the water fountains on campus every year, repairing those in bad condition, and installing new ones where appropriate.

 

Every year, the University invests in improving and adding new fountains on campus. The objective of this renewal is to increase drinking water quality and accessibility. 

Check our annual reports for more information.

H2Ottawa Revives Bottled Water Free

Celeste holds her H2Ottawa bottle in front of the living plant wall

In 2018, Celeste DiGiovanni, a student at the uOttawa School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, helped revitalize the bottled water free campaign by convincing the University to install reusable water bottles in vending machines. The project, called H2Ottawa, helps reduce plastic, privatize less water, and make a statement about water as a human right.

Read more about H2Ottawa Revives Bottled Water Free

Storm Water Management

Green Space at uOttawa

In order to reduce the University’s impact on surrounding communities, uOttawa actively engages in bio swales to filter rainwater as well as rain water collection

Black Water Reuse

Fish swimming in an aquarium

The University collects used water from its Aquatic Care Centre in order to reuse it to help heat and cool buildings on campus.

Low Flow Fixtures

Water tap

Any new water fixtures installed on campus are low flow fixture. These fixtures use significantly less water and are installed all over the campus (faucets, toilets, and urinals).

Low and no irrigation

irrigation system

The University of Ottawa does not install automated irrigation systems on campus as its standard practice. Instead, the University focuses on using native and drought tolerant plant species.

Water tips

Leaky water faucet

When it comes to water, every drop counts.

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General inquiries

sustainable@uottawa.ca

Free Store Contact

freestore@uottawa.ca

Recycling Contact

Angela Plant

aplant@uOttawa.ca