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Water

Graphic depicting water consumption of the University of Basel in 2018
Image: University of Basel, suan.ch

Water is used for many purposes in research, teaching and administration. This includes for drinking water, cleaning, food service, steam production for sterilization, and cooling water in the laboratories. Compared to 2016, water consumption dropped by 7.3%, totaling 229,230 cubic meters.

This is roughly equivalent to the annual household water consumption of 4,500 Swiss private individuals[1, 2]. Last year, the Department of Biomedicine and the Biozentrum as well as the Main Building and University Library were responsible for the highest water consumption. Around half (46%) of all water was used for cooling the laboratories, equipment and materials used for biomedical research.

Diagram showing water consumption at the University of Basel for the years 2016-2018.
Water consumption at the University of Basel (2016-2018) in cubic meters (1 m3 = 1000 Liter). Image: University of Basel, Sustainability Office

With respect to the number of staff and students, converted to full-time equivalents (FTE)[3], water consumption dropped by 6.5% from 2016, totaling about 19,800 liters per capita (FTE) in 2018.

Diagram showing water consumption per capita of the University of Basel for the years 2016-2018.
Water consumption in liters per full-time equivalent (staff and students). Each student is counted as 0.68 full time equivalent. Image: University of Basel, Sustainability Office

  

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Footnotes
Footnotes

[1] In 2017, daily household consumption of private individuals in Switzerland was 142 liters per day, or 52,000 liters (52 m3) per year.

Footnotes

[2] Associated buildings as well as the Swiss Tropical Institute and the university hospital were not factored in.

Footnotes

[3] Each student is counted as 0.68 full time equivalent. A total of 11,581 full-time equivalents were calculated.

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