Santa Clara University

The Environmental Studies and Sciences Department is offering a new course this quarter on water resources. ENVS 160: Water Resources is being taught by Professor Iris Stewart-Frey. Read more about the topics and components of the class. Read More »

Bottled water is advertised as the cleaner and healthier choice for drinking water, but the truth is that bottled water is usually the same quality as the water coming out of your tap. Unlike tap water, however, bottled water poses health risks and is also extremely wasteful. Read more about Santa Clara University's efforts to promote reusable drinking water and to implement recycled water on campus. Read More »

Iris Stewart-Frey is an Assistant Professor and water specialist at SCU's Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences. She attributes her love of water to her German roots and is currently researching the impacts of climate change on water flow and quality in California. Read more about her unique upbringing, her teaching and research interests, and her advice for conserving water. Read More »

In California, water demand is highest in the south of the state while the water supply is primarily in the north. Meeting California's water demands is a very energy-intensive endeavor. Read More »

Tips to reduce, reuse, recycle, and respect, related to water. REDUCE: simple ways to reduce water use | REUSE: flavor your filtered water | RECYCLE: household hazardous waste | RESPECT: learn about your watershed Read More »

Conner's work has impacted the Santa Clara community by placing convenient and accessible water filter stations in heavily trafficked areas of campus such as in Benson, Malley Fitness Center, and all residence halls. Conner's work is receiving strong recognition from the community and he's proud that the water filling stations are getting good use and actually working to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles on campus. Read More »

Campus Maps Show Water Filling Stations, Compost Bins, and more! Filling your reusable water bottle just got a little easier! Water fountains and goose-neck fillers (which allow you to fill a water bottle while holding it upright) are identified on one campus map, called "Water Filling Stations". ALSO THIS MONTH: Sustainability and Catholic Higher Education: A Toolkit for Mission Integration | Learn about and help plan for rapid transit along El Camino Real Read More »

The solar panel system on Benson Memorial Center is the largest project of its kind built to date in California. Read More »

In a partnership with Associated Student Government, the Office of Sustainability developed Living Green in the Neighborhood, a program that helps students in off-campus houses and apartments live more sustainably, celebrates the actions they are taking independently, encourages them to implement more sustainable practices, and rewards them with a prize. The objective: participants carry the ideas of sustainable living with them after leaving Santa Clara and implement them in their future homes. Read More »

Senior Chris Freeburg is on a mission: to build a University-wide commitment to be "Water Bottle Free." He sees this project as a means for social change, education, and awareness; it's not simply about forbidding students to purchase bottled water. "This pledge is not just a Band-Aid solution to a problem on-campus; it is part of a larger change of consciousness in our society about our consumption and our waste," Freeburg said. He hopes to garner more support for the "Water Bottle Free" pledge from the campus community during Earth Week. Read More »