Management of Water resources
Water Resources Management at the National Technical University of Athens is part of a broader effort to improve the urban quality of life and the sustainability of processes at the Technical University. Actions related to water resources management meet the requirements for the integrated development and improvement of the natural urban environment and are part of a strategy for effective management.
Implementing water-saving practices
Saving water resources on university campuses is a significant challenge, as educational facilities consume large amounts of water for various uses, such as sanitation, cleaning, irrigation, and laboratories. Adopting effective practices can help reduce consumption, conserve natural resources, and raise awareness among the academic community about sustainable water management.
The proper management of irrigation water in university green spaces leads to significant savings. To this end, NTUA has its own borehole, which supplies the surrounding area with water for irrigation, thus offering a more sustainable solution in the management of water resources. The use of modern watering systems that include sensors helps to save water.
In addition, through the recycling and reuse of water from laboratory activities, the Technical University manages to reduce its overall consumption and ecological footprint.
An international practice that could further contribute to water conservation is the use of building roofs to collect rainwater. The collected water can be used to reduce the volume of clean water used for flushing, cleaning, watering, etc. As already mentioned, this solution needs to be analyzed techno-economically for each specific building application to determine in which of NTUA buildings could be an additional solution.
Finally, the continuous monitoring and evaluation of water consumption through control systems and smart meters will allow the immediate detection of leaks and the adaptation of savings strategies. With the systematic application of these practices, NTUA could demonstrate good practice prototype/example on sustainable management of water resources and thus contribute to a broader environmental protection.
