Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Sonoma State Combats Water Loss

  • 11/01/13
Sonoma State University

Moen Commercial fixtures helped Sonoma State University to combat the significant water loss it had been experiencing due to worn-out shower heads and valves.

Original plumbing hardware in the locker and shower rooms at Sonoma State University’s (SSU) Physical Education Building needed replacement, and the SSU Facilities Management Plumbing Shop was looking for a cost-effective yet high-quality retrofit. Kevin Davis, SSU lead plumber, proposed researching and developing a time and materials cost savings plan for the showers. Davis turned to Moen Commercial to discuss the proposed retrofit and ultimately chose Moen vandal-resistant showerheads.

The campus added 32 Moen Commercial single-handle pressure-balancing shower valves along with 18 Commercial M-Dura® chrome showerheads in the center’s men’s and women’s locker rooms.

In addition, on an as-needed basis, the university is swapping out worn, leaking plastic shower-valve cartridges with more than 1,000 heavy-duty brass Moen 1222 HD Single-Handle Posi-Temp® replacement cartridges across all of the student housing complexes on campus.

Before switching to the Moen showerheads and valves, the campus was experiencing significant water loss due to leaks from the 40-year-old column showers with their inefficient shower heads and wornout valves. The retrofit proposed by Davis provided an immediate water-savings solution and improved performance.

Water flows through the new showerheads in an engineered-polymer channel for instant, consistent flow, and the spray pattern is designed to maximize force while saving water. The Moen valves were fitted with lever handles that perfectly match the brushed stainless-steel enclosure. In addition to the shower retrofits, Moen’s heavy-duty brass cartridges are being added as needed throughout the campus to replace leaking plastic cartridges.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management November 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.