When the U-M football team takes to the field at the Big House for the 2010-11 season, all eyes will be on the newly renovated and expanded Michigan Stadium. The rebirth of the stadium is 3 years in the making and will yield a 400,000 sq ft addition, a facelift in the form of a 2-story masonry structure, 83 suites, and a new capacity of over 108,000. But, we’re excited about the water savings thanks to the energy efficiency measures and other sustainability features that have been added.
Some of the water conservation features at the Big House are:
- automatic sensors at lavatories to control water flow
- tempered water to lavatories that minimizes the use of hot water
- use of low flow toilet fixtures and waterless urinals
These features — and more are described on a university project fact sheet — are reducing water use, reducing energy use, and saving the university lots of money. According to the University’s 2009 Environmental Report, per capita water use is down 7.1% since 2004 even while the university has grown. Plus, the University’s overall Green House Gas emissions are down 3.8% during that same time, which means less water consumed to produce energy. That’s a win for the Huron River!