Circular water management What is Ghent University doing to reduce water consumption and make our campuses water-robust? What can you do at the office or in the lab? How can you get started?

Circular water management

Bekijk Nederlandstalige versie

Water policy

Ghent University is working on an integrated water policy that closes water cycles locally as much as possible and mitigates the effects of climate change.

• Transition plan circular water management 2020-2030 
• Follow-up report: 2022
• Check the consumption at your campus (contact milieu@ugent.be for information about your building)
• At all lab sites, wastewater is measured at least annually for 3 consecutive days. If exceedances occur, the cause is sought together with the departments.

Water transition at your campus

92% of the water used is tap water. This drinking water can be replaced in many applications. It can be replaced by alternative water supply sources.

• Many toilets are flushed with rainwater.
• On the Veterinary Medicine campus and the GUSB, effluent from the purification installation is reused for cleaning stables and flushing toilets.
• On the Pharmacy campus, Gontrode and Proeftuinstraat, wastewater is partly purified in a helophyte field and reused for flushing toilets.
• Water transition studies are ongoing at campus Sterre and the Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat site.

Water savings at your workstation

Use water wisely and don't waste it. Be the ambassador, the sustainability leader, the enthusiast, ... within your group and motivate others!

• Report leaky taps! A running toilet consumes 1l/min!
• Report the purchase of appliances with high water consumption and get advice from milieu@ugent.be.
• Report defects or (expected) excessive consumption to milieu@ugent.be (water costs can be charged to the department if this is not the case).

Do you want to start yourself?

Do you see opportunities to save more water? Or to transform paving into an area where water can infiltrate? Maybe we can help? Or would you like some inspiration

• Be inspired by great examples from your peers! Look what colleagues did to unharden unnecessary pavements and get cracking!
• Do you suspect a (very) high water consumption, e.g. by an appliance? We can install a mobile counter and monitor this very intensively. Contact us!
• Can't convince your colleagues to drink tap water? We can analyse the quality of the drinking water for you. Get in touch with us!

Contact

More information: milieu@UGent.be 

Environmental advisor water: GreetPersoon@ugent.be