6.3.4 Water-conscious building standards
Metric: Water usage and care
Apply building standards to minimise water use.
Prince of Songkla University applies water-efficiency requirements to new buildings and progressively upgrades existing buildings to reduce potable water consumption and improve the efficiency of water systems.
Water-Efficient Fixtures and Pressure Control
All new buildings are equipped with automatic sensor-controlled water fixtures, including sensor-operated faucets and urinals. More than 80% of existing buildings have also been upgraded with similar water-saving devices.
The University also installs Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs) within water-supply pipelines to control excessive pressure, reduce the risk of pipe leakage and fixture malfunction, and improve the efficiency of water use.
These measures have contributed to an estimated 10% reduction in mains water consumption.
Building Water-Supply Standards
PSU requires building water-supply systems to be designed and managed separately at building level. Buildings are provided with water-storage capacity sufficient to support approximately one to two days of normal use.
Facilities with significant agricultural or landscape water demand are encouraged to maintain separate water-storage systems and, where appropriate, use raw water from University reservoirs rather than relying solely on treated mains water.
Rainwater Harvesting and Reuse
PSU incorporates rainwater harvesting into building and site water-management practices.
Rainwater collected from roofs, paved areas, and drainage systems can be filtered and stored for appropriate non-potable uses, including:
This approach reduces reliance on potable water, improves resource efficiency, and reduces pressure on campus drainage infrastructure.
Wastewater Management within Buildings
All buildings are required to provide effective preliminary wastewater treatment before wastewater is discharged into the University’s secondary treatment system.
Wastewater-treatment systems must be appropriately designed and supervised by qualified engineers and must comply with applicable wastewater-discharge standards.
Supporting Sustainable Building Management
PSU combines building standards with preventive maintenance, leak detection, water-saving communication, and continuous system improvement to maintain long-term water efficiency.
Integrated Water Infrastructure
PSU incorporates water-efficient infrastructure into campus planning. The Thung Yai Campus Extension master plan includes dedicated water-supply, wastewater-treatment, and stormwater-drainage systems designed to support efficient water management and reduce unnecessary water use.
These measures form part of the University’s broader commitment to sustainable and resource-efficient building design and operation.