Optimizing water use in the University of Sonora, Mexico

Sustainable consumption of water is nowadays vital around the world because water shortages have prevented economic growth in many regions. This article reports the strategy in the University of Sonora for conserving this natural resource by presenting a case study constructed through direct participation in the design, operation, and maintenance of its Sustainability Management System (SMS), which is ISO 14001 certified, and by discussing the efforts to eliminate any inappropriate behaviors that generates wastewater on campus.The University of Sonora, just as any other higher education institution, has obtained environmental and economic benefits by implementing its SMS. The main benefit has been maintaining very low levels of wasted cubic meters of water, since the total of the three periods is approximately 38 m3, which are equal to $59 dollars. Through this effort, the institution presents itself before society as a responsible entity in the use and care of our natural resources.Findings of this article provide insights to enrich the current debate on how to prevent, eliminate, and reduce water use inefficiencies on campus, and, in that way, contribute to mainstream knowledge toward achieving sustainability in universities.