Water Resilience
Overview
The concept of water resilience aims to ensure safe drinking water for school communities while maintaining water-efficient facilities. According to a 2018 study on worldwide water consumption in schools, the average school in the U.S. uses 20 liters per student per day. A school with approximately 1,000 students would then use 7,300,000 liters, or 1,928,455 gallons, per year.
According to the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s 2023 Water Quality Report, the reservoir from which the District receives its water meets all healthy drinking standards and has no pollutants above the safety level. OUSD continues to monitor and ensure that the drinking water is free from any other potential contaminants in pipes. The District addresses water contamination through several policies and an Energy and Water Plan and will continue to address water resiliency through the goals set in the Sustainability Policy and Plan, and by working diligently to provide resources and install upgrades to school sites.
Previous Water Quality Projects
Previous Water Resilience Policies & Plans
OUSD Sustainability in the News
District-Wide Hydraulic Stations
In 2018, OUSD implemented District-wide hydraulic stations to replace fountains that were found to have lead. By replacing the old water fountains with newer models, OUSD was able to remove the lead contaminants and provide students with healthy drinking water. Check out the press release featured on SFGATE here.