Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

This goal targets providing universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water; access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene; reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials; increasing water-use efficiency; implementing integrated water resources management; protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems; expanding international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programs; and, supporting and strengthening the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management. Learn more about this goal by reviewing the Targets & Indicators section below.

Source: SciVal.com | This word cloud was created using publications from Penn State researchers

Research & Publications

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Publications
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Courses

13) Does Penn State cooperate with local, regional, national or global governments on water security?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T20:05:40-05:00

13) Does Penn State cooperate with local, regional, national or global governments on water security?

Yes, the Penn State Water Resources Center provides research that local, national, and global governments can reference on challenges regarding water security and sustainability.

11) Does Penn State, where water is extracted (for example from aquifers, lakes or rivers), utilize sustainable water extraction technologies on associated university grounds on and off campus?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T20:04:10-05:00

11) Does Penn State, where water is extracted (for example from aquifers, lakes or rivers), utilize sustainable water extraction technologies on associated university grounds on and off campus?

Yes, the Living Filter is an example of a sustainable extraction technology, as the filter recharges the regional water table using treated effluent.

7) Does Penn State have a policy to maximize water reuse across the university?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:54:12-05:00

7) Does Penn State have a policy to maximize water reuse across the university?

Penn State University Park has a unique water reuse system called the Living Filter which takes treated effluent from the Penn State Waste Water Treatment Plant to irrigate a 600 acre plot of land. Discharging effluent into the Living Filter recharges the region’s water table and recycles the treated effluent. Additionally, there is an ongoing effort to install “purple pipes” which carries treated wastewater to meet irrigation and industrial water demands.

6) Does Penn State plant landscapes to minimize water usage? (e.g. use drought-tolerant plants)Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:50:53-05:00

6) Does Penn State plant landscapes to minimize water usage? (e.g. use drought-tolerant plants)

The university has a sustainable landscape implementation plan to conserve resources and increase carbon sequestration and canopy cover while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maintenance that is required to maintain landscapes. The guiding principles of the plan are that: strategies shall be practical and incrementally implementable as resources allow; strategies shall promote economic sustainability and operational self-sufficiency; strategies shall aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration; strategies shall aim to ecologically intensify campus while conserving resources; strategies shall aim to educate and engage the Penn State community.

5) Does Penn State apply building standards to minimize water use?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:47:02-05:00

5) Does Penn State apply building standards to minimize water use?

Yes, Penn State has a policy that requires all new buildings to be LEED certified, which is a rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council for sustainable building development. To achieve a LEED certification, buildings must meet high standards for indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and water conservation. Please read more HERE.

4) Does Penn State provide free drinking water for students, staff and/or visitors, e.g. drinking water fountains)?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:45:30-05:00

4) Does Penn State provide free drinking water for students, staff and/or visitors, e.g. drinking water fountains)?

Yes, all Penn State campuses provide free, clean drinking water. Some campuses have Hydration Stations and currently there are 403 Hydration Stations dispersed across the main and branch campuses. View University Park Water Bottle Filling Station locations here.

3) Does Penn State have processes to prevent polluted water entering the water system, including pollution caused by accidents and incidents at the university?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:44:16-05:00

3) Does Penn State have processes to prevent polluted water entering the water system, including pollution caused by accidents and incidents at the university?

Yes. Penn State has processes in place to prevent polluted water entering the water system. One such process is a policy SY40: Disposal of Pollutants in In University Sanitary Systems, which forbids the disposal of potentially dangerous or damaging pollutants down University water drains.

2) Does Penn State have a process in place to treat wastewater?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:32:27-05:00

2) Does Penn State have a process in place to treat wastewater?

Yes, Penn State has a process in place to treat all waste water produced on all campuses. The University Park campus has its own waste water treatment plant. which provides service to the UP campus and a portion of the State College Borough. The plant has a liquid treatment train, which uses grit removal, coarse screening, primary settling tanks, a trickling filter, and an activated sludge process to treat liquid waste. The plant also has a solid treatment train that uses anaerobic digestion system to treat solid waste. A unique aspect of the Penn State WWTP is that instead of discharging treated effluent to a river or stream, which is common among PA water treatment plants, it instead discharges treated effluent to an agricultural land system called the “Living Filter.” Irrigation to the Living filter recharges the region’s water table by about 475 million gallons per year, and is believed to be the reason why local streams and rivers are in better conditions than the past 100 years. Read more about the PSU WWTP here.

Other campuses in the Penn State system are connected to local municipal waste water treatment systems.

1) Does Penn State measure the total volume of water used in the university that is taken from main supply, desalinated, or extracted from rivers, lakes, or aquifers?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:27:57-05:00

1) Does Penn State measure the total volume of water used in the university that is taken from main supply, desalinated, or extracted from rivers, lakes, or aquifers?

Yes. Water usage is monitored across all Penn State campuses on the “Water Dashboard” on Penn State Sustainability’s website.

Does Penn State provide educational opportunities for local communities to learn about good water management?Krista Bailey2025-03-06T19:57:42-05:00

Does Penn State provide educational opportunities for local communities to learn about good water management?

Yes, Penn State Extension provides a wealth of information on good water management. Topics include pond and wastewater management, urban and residential stormwater, watershed protection and restoration, and Conservation Practices and Training.

The information can be found under the “Water” tab under the drop down selection labeled “Menu”.

Does Penn State actively promote conscious water usage in the wider community?Krista Bailey2025-03-05T11:54:39-05:00

Does Penn State actively promote conscious water usage in the wider community?

Yes, Penn State Extension has a specific section dedicated to water supply and conservation. On Extension’s “Benefits from Water Conservation” webpage there are articles and videos topics such as conscious water usage and water education for youth. This free resource is available to the public as a way to promote conscious water usage in the wider community.

Targets & Indicators

Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services

Target 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations

Indicator 6.2.1: Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water

Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally

Indicator 6.3.1: Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated
Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality

Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

Indicator 6.4.1: Change in water-use efficiency over time See metadata :
Indicator 6.4.2: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate

Indicator 6.5.1: Degree of integrated water resources management
Indicator 6.5.2: Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation

Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes

Indicator 6.6.1: Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time

Target 6.a: By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programs, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies

Indicator 6.a.1: Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan

Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

Indicator 6.b.1: Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management

@sustainpsu

SDG 6