Water conservation has been and remains to be a priority at Chapman. We have completed several initiatives and have many more underway that demonstrate our commitment to reducing water use on our campus. We’ll share status updates on in-progress projects, details on completed projects, and educational resources on all things water conservation. Bookmark this page and check back for updates!

Conservation Efforts Since 2014

Chapman has taken several steps to reduce our water usage in the past eight years. Check out this article on Chapman’s completed water conservation initiatives to learn more. This article has more updates on what the Office of Sustainability has been doing to educate the Chapman community on water conservation, including details on Ecolympics, the residence hall water conservation competition.

Conservation Underway

We have begun drought-tolerant landscape development in eight key areas around campus. Our team is removing the turf in these areas and replacing it with drought-tolerant plants. We have identified low water use plants that can thrive in the dry Southern California climate while still achieving the Chapman landscape aesthetic. 

The Walnut Ave & Grand St and Walnut Ave & Center St landscapes are now complete! Take a stroll down Walnut Ave and enjoy the new plants and sights. Work continues on the landscapes on Grand St near Sandhu and Davis Apartments.

Take a look at the transformation the Walnut Ave & Grand St landscape site has undergone – from water-intensive turf to water-wise plants and rock gardens!

The traditional spray irrigation systems, which can often be inefficient and result in significant water loss, will be replaced with drip irrigation systems, which allow for a more precise, permeating application of water to the flora.

By renovating our landscapes with drought-tolerant plants and drip irrigation systems, Chapman will save over 450,000 gallons of water each year.

 

 

Plant Palette Highlights

Our new drought-tolerant landscapes will introduce plants that are climate-adaptive, and in some cases, California native. Keep an eye out for plants such as red yucca, swamp milkweed, and rainbow bush.

Water Conservation – It Starts with You!

Chapman is accepting our personal responsibility in drought response and water conservation by taking measurable steps to reduce water use in areas we have the most control over. We hope that these efforts will encourage students, faculty, and staff to make efforts to reduce their water use at a personal level as well. Check out our water conservation tips poster to learn some quick tips on how to can conserve water at home.