Our campus is just uphill from French Creek, the most biodiverse stream in Pennsylvania and a regularly used outdoor laboratory for our ecology courses. Since water is such a defining component of our natural setting, Allegheny College works to responsibly manage our consumption of water and our stormwater runoff to French Creek.
Water Efficiency
We’ve reduced our water consumption by 40 percent over the past decade through the installation of low-flow faucet and showerhead fixtures and switching to more water-efficient appliances like washing machines. We also choose our campus landscaping to be native or adaptable to hot summers so we do not have to irrigate.
Filtered Refill Stations
We’ve installed dozens of cold, filtered water stations where you can refill your bottle in academic and residential buildings. Meadville’s tap water is from a glacial deposit aquifer and its quality is regularly assessed and publicly reported.
Green Roof
Laura’s Rooftop Terrace looks like a grassy courtyard with lavender, trees, and cedar walkways, but it is also the roof above the costume and set shops in the Vukovich Center. Green roofs help capture and absorb rainwater, protect the roof membrane, add insulation, and minimize energy consumption in the building.
Native Wildflowers
More than an acre of Allegheny’s central campus is planted in native species wildflowers from Ernst Conservation Seeds, a local company committed to seed mixes for ecological restoration, reclamation, and conservation. Our wildflowers eliminate a significant portion of grounds maintenance time and costs and absorb and filter runoff from an adjacent parking lot. Most importantly they add colorful, natural beauty to our campus and provide a unique research laboratory where it’s not unusual to see students with nets hunting insects.
Green Cleaning Policy
We’ve worked with our housekeeping partner, St. Moritz, to develop a green cleaning policy that is more environmentally friendly as well as better for air and water quality and your health.
Rain Gardens
We capture stormwater from parking lots and roofs in many beautifully landscaped rain gardens, which filter and recharge groundwater across campus. Rain gardens minimize the amount of stormwater entering the sewer system and discharging into French Creek.
Outcomes
- 7 rain gardens capture campus stormwater
- 24 filtered water refill stations across campus
- 40% reduction in water consumption
Your Sustainable Habits Create Our Sustainable Campus:
- Carry your own reusable bottle or travel mug
- Turn off the water when you’re not using it while brushing your teeth, washing your face, or washing dishes
- Wash only full loads of laundry