Final Paper (Small Group Communications)

7/27/2019 Final Paper (Small Group Communications)

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Issues in Water Consumption and Salt Use at Bryant University

Sarah Rozenberg, Michelle Scali,Blair Stone, Alejandro Votteler

COM 367

Professor Kevin Pearce

May 1, 2014


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A recent trend on college campuses is sustainability and conservation of resources. Each

school is evaluated based on various characteristics and efforts towards preserving resources and

educating the public about environmental issues. Until this semester, little was done on Bryant

Universitys campus. Looking at the university, some of the main issues include energy

conservation and the damage from the salt used in snow removal.

From a university perspective, sustainability is not only important for the reputation and

credibility of an institution, but for keeping operating costs low and maintaining the land and

resources available. Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Huang, 2011).

Focusing on environmental sustainability is extremely significant for keeping Bryants campus

healthy and thriving. The way we treat and protect our campus affects everything from the air we

breathe to the water we drink to the buildings we inhabit. Teaching the importance of

sustainability to students at the college level and earlier is crucial.

Bryant University was accredited by the AASHE's Sustainability Tracking and Rating System

(Bryant University Snow, 2013) in 2013. Bryants sustainability efforts integrate operations and facilities,

student engagement, curriculum, and policy in order to achieve sustainability throughout the 8 domains

specified in the 2013 Sustainability Report. These domains include academics and research, energy,

building and land use, health and wellness, transportation, waste reduction, water, and community

engagement. Our proposal will be aligned with Bryants collaborative process and will intertwine water

reduction, community engagement, and academics and research in order to provide the university with

cost effective sustainable solutions. Our goal, as well as the universities, is to reach gold status and boast

Bryants strong alliance to the environment.

One of the main areas for improvement that Bryant should address is the way they

remove and melt snow on campus. Bryant has chosen to focus on cost effectiveness by


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purchasing chemicals which are powerful, although extremely harmful to the environment. The

EPA estimates that the eastern and northern sectors of the country use more than 90% of

approximately 10 tons of salt each year (Source Water, 2010).

During the winter months, Bryant facilities uses harmful materials such as magnesium

chloride, and salt to melt the snow in order for students to be mobile around campus.(Bryant

University Snow, 2013).Bryant University uses a 3:1 sand to salt ratio which lessens the harmful

effects of salt on soil, and water sources. Even still, much can be done to reduce the dependency

on sand because many studies have shown abrasives to be more harmful than deicers (

AASHTO, 2013). The state of Rhode Island typically uses a sand to salt ratio of 1:1 while at the

same time using Brine anti-icing, pre-wetting, and de-icing techniques (RI Division of Planning,

2014). These techniques are applied before snowfall and can be effective up to 72 hours before

snow starts to accumulate.

Sand has harmful effects on water quality, aquatic species, air quality, vegetation, and

soil composition (AASHTO, 2013). They can also incur heavy hidden costs related to cleanup

and damage of the roadside vegetation. Suspended particles related to the cleanup of sand can

also be a risk to air quality. Under the Clean Air Act particles smaller than 10 microns are

regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Magnesium chloride also

creates lasting environmental impacts because of its chloride component. This is subject to the

landscape and application rates used, but can affect soil, water quality, and aquatic species

(AASHTO, 2013).

Along with decreasing the amount of sand and salt mixture used, pre-wetting allows sand

and salt to stick to pavement reducing the impacts of runoff into grass and water sources. Brine is

a saltwater solution that is applied before snowfall as well which allows the salt to stick to the


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pavement and prevents ice from sticking to the pavement. Rhode Island owns a Brine making

facility that can produce up to 5000 gallons per hour located off Exit 7 on Interstate 95. This

facility is located very close to Bryant University and could be used as a potential source for

Brine Solution. According to a survey by the Rhode Island Division of Planning in which 25% of

the municipalities replied, only Central Falls reported using saltwater brine (RI Division of

Planning, 2014).

Water consumption at Bryant University has reached a yearly total of 68,945,300 gallons

of water costing the university about $323,781. In 2008 the University significantly lowered its

water consumption but since then the consumption has been rising. This consumption is directly

correlated with the use of electricity used in the water heaters, and energy used to transport the

water from the Scituate Reservoir to Bryant University. It is important that we try to limit the use

of the Scituate Reservoir since it provides 60% of Rhode Island residents with drinking water.

Over consumption of water could lead to the decimation of this precious resource and would cost

the state millions to find another source.

More recently the Rhode Island Transportation Department has begun testing 1,100 miles

of highway to test the efficiency of saltwater brine. The Bryant University snow removal plan is

called to action when snowfall exceeds 3 inches and snow removal teams are contacted at least 2

hours before snowfall. (Exhibit 1)Our suggestion for Bryant would be to implement pre-wetting

using a salt brine solution 24 hours before the snow is forecasted. This would save the University

in overtime cost because the deicers and plows will clean the roads more effectively.

The next issue we will address is that of water consumption. In the STARS Sustainability

Report, Bryant University pledges to reduce campus wide water consumption 10% by 2020. Our

proposal reduces water consumption by 14% and has a relatively low implementation cost. (See


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Exhibit 2) We will be proposing a complete renewal of all showerheads on campus to EPA

certified showerheads that reduce water flow to 1.5 gallons per minute. Calculated cost and

return on investment are trivial compared to the benefits the campus and the surrounding

ecosystem. (See Exhibit 3)

Combining these new technologies along with active community involvement and

education will further inflate the return on investment. Duke University had implemented the

same strategy when they were hit with a drought in 2007. The university then purchased 10,000

low flow showerheads and distributed them among students, and facilities and ultimately saved

73 million gallons of water (Duke,2014). One of their cost effective strategies was to place

informational signs in front of stalls, sinks, and even in showers to make people aware about the

impact of water usage on the environment. Bryant University, along with purchasing the

showerheads could challenge its students to lower shower times in order to reduce water

consumption. Saving water also reduces heating, and electricity bills at the school.

In order to come up with the best solutions for Bryant University, it was necessary to

look into what the Universitys current efforts entailed. The main organization behind the most

effective sustainability efforts is the Sustainability Ambassador Program. The organization is

meant to be a support and training group for students who have a passion for improving positive

change in the community and the environment. The ambassadors coordinate events to educate

the community and begin sustainable efforts on campus.

This semester, the Sustainability Ambassadors sponsored Recyclemania with Facilities

on campus in order to compete in Campus Conservation nationals. They also created a

competition between halls 14, 15 and 16 to reduce their electricity consumption during the

competition. This event rewarded the hall which decreased their usage by the most with a


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Chipotle burrito bar. The competition was only in the first-year halls because they are the only

hall which get an accurate reading. The effort was very successful and showed great potential for

the Sustainability Ambassadors and making efforts towards sustainability.

Another effort by the Sustainability Ambassadors, Facilities and the Sustainability

Committee also hosted an Electronic Recycling Drive. The effort allowed members of the

community to drop off difficult to recycle electronics which are usually thrown away. The event

allowed this group to recycle or donate 6,266 lbs of electronics to Goodwill. This was Bryants

first Electronic Recycling Drive and it was a huge success. These programs put on by the

Ambassadors and other groups show the potential for change on Bryant Universitys campus.

Looking at all of the current University efforts and the efforts of other Universities, there

are many possible solutions for Bryant to implement and many factors to consider. Cost is one

of the most important factors to look at. The cost of implementing these solutions in the short

term is very expensive, something that has to be taken into account. Another factor to look at

when evaluating solutions is the time it will take to see effective changes. The shorter the time it

will take to implement a solution, the better it will be for the university. If it takes a long time

before changes are seen, it defeats the whole purpose of trying to sustain energy in a timely

manner. The last factor to consider is the amount of change the solution will incur. The solution

that will improve the environment the most would be the best choice for the university. The main

goal is to make Bryant a more sustainable campus. The solutions we choose must overall

improve the environment and help sustain Bryants campus.

The first of our proposed solutions for snow removal at Bryant is pre-wetting the salt

with beet juice. This technique is currently being used by Western Michigan University and has

many benefits, including lowering the amount of salt used, therefore reducing the cost, and


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reducing the amount of salt that gets scattered (Annual Report, 2013). Using beet juice is 100

percent organic, is environmentally friendly, and starts the process of de-icing immediately,

which reduces the time spent on removing ice and snow. The results of using salt treated with

beet juice show that 14.9 tons are used, as compared to 20.4 tons without beet juice. This saves

almost 5 tons of salt on average, which contributes to the benefits of using beet juice on the salt

for snow and ice removal.

The second proposed solution is to have a competition similar to the Electricity reduction

competition, but with water. The success that the Sustainability Ambassadors had with their

efforts provides support to run this type of event again. In order to improve the success of the

competition, our group proposes an additional educational campaign to run along-side it. The

Ambassadors provided tips to students on how to reduce their electricity, but we would like to go

beyond that and teach the students about the consequences that may result due to their

negligence and waste. We propose to put posters with facts about world water consumption

around the first-year halls and on all the televisions throughout campus. Due to the availability of

accurate water meters, not all halls would be able to participate, therefore replacing the water and

electricity meters in future years is a way to keep students all over campus accountable.

In order to fund these projects Bryant University is in the process of establishing a Green

Revolving Fund. This fund works by securing funding for cost effective solutions to

sustainability and cycling the savings into other investments. With savings incurred by reducing

water consumption Bryant University can then invest these savings into purchasing saltwater

brine or even purchasing their own brine making tanks to use on campus.

Replacing all of the shower heads in every dorm is costly, but will benefit the university

and save money in the long term. The process of changing the showerheads can be done in a


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timely manner over the summer or winter break. By changing all of the showerheads to new ones

that reduce water consumption, there will be less water wasted. This solution is the best one

because it will lower costs in the future, takes little time to implement, and will help reduce the

amount of water used in the dorms.

Using a pre-wetting salt brine for snow removal is an extra cost in the short term, but will

save money on overtime costs in the long term. The changing of both the new salt brine for

easier snow removal and new showerheads that reduce water flow are both solutions that can be

done quickly and show positive change quickly. By changing the chemicals used for snow

removal, there will be less harmful effects on the environment. In particular, changing the pre-

wetting solution to beet juice will be the most effective solution. It is cost effective, takes the

least amount of time to change, and it is better for the environment.


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Exhibit 1.

Exhibit 2.


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Exhibit 3.

Works Cited

Annual Report: Facilities Management Department. (2013). Retrieved from


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file:///C:/Users/student/Downloads/FM%20ANNUAL%20REPORT%202013.pdf

Bankowski, M. (2014, 02 11). Westerns first sustainability conference draws more than500. The

Western Front. Retrieved from http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_

5ac6b530-933a-11e3-b737-0017a43b2370.html

Big: Brown is green. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.brown.edu/initiatives/brown-is-green/

Bryant University Snow and Ice Removal. (2013, October 24). Stars. Retrieved April 28, 2014,

from

https://stars.aashe.org/institutions/bryant-university-ri/report/1680/OP/grounds/OP-T2-

22/

Bryant University Sustainability Plan. (2013, October 1). . Retrieved April 28, 2014, from

http://www.bryant.edu/resources/files/About/Sustainability%20Plan%2011-5-13.pdf

Buechner, M. (2007). 3 Change your lightbulbs. (Cover story). Time, 169(15), 70.

College tries varied methods to compost campus organics. (1997).BioCycle, 38(3), 25.

Cooper, R. (2007). GREENER EDUCATION. Canadian Geographic, 127(5), 22.

Huang, M., & Rust, R. (2011). Sustainability and consumption.Journal Of The Academy Of

Marketing Science, 39(1), 40-54. doi:10.1007/s11747-010-0193-6

Organizational Policy and Resource Guide. (2013, January 1). Organizational Policy and

Resource

Guide. Retrieved April 28, 2014, from

http://policies.bryant.edu/ba/facilities/gdepartment.htm

Road Salt/Sand Application in Rhode Island. (2013, March 31). . Retrieved April 28, 2014, from

http://www.planning.ri.gov/documents/LU/TP_163.pdf

The college sustainability report card: Bryant university. (2011). Retrieved from


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http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/bryant-university

"UI Crews to Use Eco-friendly Deicer This Winter." The University of Iowa. TheUniversity of Iowa,

19 Nov. 2010. Web.

.

United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Water Washington D.C.Epa.gov.

Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web.

.

Source Water Protection Practices Bulletin. Tech. Washington, D.C.: EPA, 2010. Print.

"Center for Environmental Excellence by AASHTO - Environmental Issue Construction and

Maintenance Practices Compendium." Center for Environmental Excellence by AASHTO

-

Environmental Issue Construction and Maintenance Practices Compendium. AASHTO,

n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

.Parker, D., 1997. Alternative Snow and Ice Control Methods: Field Evaluation. Federal Highway

Administration. FHWA-OR-RD-98-03. Washington, D.C.

"Duke." Sustainability : Water Conservation. Duke University, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

.
http://sustainability.uiowa.edu/news/ui-crews-to-use-eco-friendly-deicer-this-winter/http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/upload/2002_06_28_mtb_ice.pdfhttp://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/upload/2002_06_28_mtb_ice.pdfhttp://sustainability.uiowa.edu/news/ui-crews-to-use-eco-friendly-deicer-this-winter/


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Sustainability Ambassador E-mail


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Campus Conservation Nationals


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Results from Electronic Recycling Drive


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Bryants Electronic Recycling Drive, February 25th


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Help Bryant Win Recyclemania


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Help Bryant Compete in Campus Conservation Nationals


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Idea Evaluation Chart

Idea Cost Time beforechange occurs Amount ofchange

Current: Usingharmful,inexpensivechemicals forsnow removal

Low None None

Using beet juice

to remove snow

Minimal Immediately Medium

Replacingshower heads

High Immediately High

Water reductioncompetition

Low Immediately Medium

Installing metersto accuratelymeasure water

usage inresidence halls

Medium Significant time None unlessinformation isused and

consequencesare created andenforced

Using alternativechemicals forsnow removal

High Immediately High

Final Paper (Small Group Communications)

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