ECU Environmental Management/Protection

Water Conservation

We are in phase 1 of a campus-wide project that will convert all irrigation to a centrally controlled system, Maxicom. The first phase includes all of the Allied Health Campus and the Athletic Campus. With this system, we will be able to eliminate overwatering on irrigated landscapes with the use of a built in weather station that calculates the evapotranspiration rate. It will also inform us of leaks in the system before they become a serious problem. This system is expected to save thousand of gallons of water currently being purchased for irrigation purposes from the local utility company.
See the "Energy Conservation" section for ECU Housing's water saving showerheads.

Pest Management

In the last five years, the Grounds Department has totally eliminated the use of 'Restricted Use Chemicals.' In other words, ECU doesn't use any chemicals that are more toxic than an average homeowner can purchase and use.
At the chancellor's house, we have totally eliminated the use of all chemicals on the grounds, including fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. We only use 100 percent organic means of controlling weeds and other pests in the landscape. This practice came as a suggestion from the chancellor's wife.
The university and its pest control vendor have entered into a pilot program to study the effectiveness of an integrated pest management program for resident halls. This program will use "best management practices" to reduce the use of chemicals inside a facility while still controlling pests.

Toxic Substance Reduction

The School of Nursing has exchanged all mercury thermometers for non-mercury containing thermometers. This action eliminates the potential of mercury exposure to humans and the environment from broken thermometers, reduces staff time spent recovering and decontaminating affected areas following a broken thermometer incident and reduces disposal costs.
ECU Student Transportation developed and implemented a rapid response kit for fuel, oil, hydraulic oil and transmission fluid leaks that occasionally occur to ECU buses. This procedure has been very effective in controlling vehicle leaks and reducing the spread of spilled vehicle oils to the environment.

Environmental Purchasing

All paper towels, toilet paper, copier paper and 50 percent of printed materials are made with recycled post consumer content.
This past fiscal year, Materials Management started buying carpet manufactured from recycled fiber. To date, approximately $260,000 worth of carpet made from recycled fiber has been purchased.