Water Sustainability at Georgetown

Georgetown University is advancing water sustainability on campus and in our local and global communities through our operational practices and through the scholarly work of Georgetown students and faculty. On campus, progress toward our goal of becoming self-sustaining in water is advanced by our focus on sustainable drinking water sourcing, water conservation, and stormwater management.

Think Global, Drink Local Georgetown views water issues as both global and social issues. Water scarcity already affects almost every continent and more than 40 percent of the people on our planet. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water stressed conditions. By drinking local water, the Georgetown community is helping reduce the depletion of global fresh water resources and cutting down on the plastic waste generated by single-serve disposable water bottles. Georgetown offices can now conveniently purchase a sustainable water cooler using filtered tap water.

Water Conservation Recognizing that 95% of the water that we use is consumed “behind the scenes,” for the production of food, energy, and materials, Georgetown is committed to conserving water not only with water-efficient buildings and landscaping practices but also by addressing this hidden water use through our procurement and energy decisions. 

Stormwater Management Due to pollution carried by stormwater runoff, over 34 miles of rivers and streams in and around the District of Columbia do not currently support swimming or aquatic life. As an institution whose identity is tied to its location on the banks of the Potomac River, we are committed to supporting District-wide priorities to improve the health of our watershed through low impact development.