The University of the Cordilleras (UC) reused 17,847 m³ of water in 2025, about 35% of all water used on campus. The figure comes from the monthly tracking that the Campus Management Office (CMO) keeps through its Campus Compliance & Pollution Control Officers Unit. Each month, the University records how much water it draws from the Baguio Water District alongside how much recycled water it puts back into use.
What UC measures
The University tracks water reuse through three measures.
- Monthly potable water consumption: Water drawn from the Baguio Water District (BAWADI) is recorded every month. In 2025, it totaled 33,087 m³.
- Monthly recycled water use: The volume of recycled water used on campus is recorded alongside potable use. In 2025, it totaled 17,847 m³.
- Water use per person: Potable consumption is divided by the campus population to give a per-person figure. With 33,087 m³ used by a population of 19,905, this came to 1.66 m³ per person in 2025.
Where the reused water comes from
Recycled water on campus comes from two sources, both kept apart from the potable supply.
- Treated wastewater: The campus Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), with a capacity of 1,200 m³ per day, treats wastewater from toilets, urinals, sinks and lavatories. A final reverse osmosis (RO) stage removes residual impurities so the water can be safely reused.
- Harvested rainwater: A rainwater harvester tank collects rainwater from building rooftops. The water is filtered, stored in non-potable tanks and combined with recycled wastewater.
The recycled water is used for toilet flushing and for watering campus plants and landscaping. Quarterly effluent sampling at the STP confirms that treated water meets DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-06, the Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards of 2016.
Reuse month by month in 2025
The reuse share is recycled water as a percentage of all water used (potable plus recycled). It ranged from about 29% in March and November to 48% in July.
| Month | Baguio Water District (m³) | Recycled water (m³) | Reuse share |
| January | 2,887 | 1,542 | 34.8% |
| February | 3,010 | 1,407 | 31.9% |
| March | 3,345 | 1,401 | 29.5% |
| April | 2,373 | 1,212 | 33.8% |
| May | 2,663 | 1,305 | 32.9% |
| June | 2,178 | 1,218 | 35.9% |
| July | 1,966 | 1,830 | 48.2% |
| August | 2,399 | 1,971 | 45.1% |
| September | 3,162 | 1,704 | 35.0% |
| October | 3,523 | 1,506 | 29.9% |
| November | 3,347 | 1,398 | 29.5% |
| December | 2,234 | 1,353 | 37.7% |
| Total | 33,087 | 17,847 | 35.0% |
What the numbers show
Recycled water use was highest in August (1,971 m³) and July (1,830 m³). In July, recycled water nearly matched potable consumption (1,966 m³), pushing the reuse share to its peak for the year.
Potable consumption was highest in October (3,523 m³), when the reuse share dropped to about 30%. Months like these show where more recycled water could replace potable supply.
Across the year, recycled water added about 0.9 m³ per person on top of the 1.66 m³ per person drawn from the city supply. Recording both figures every month lets the CMO see how reuse changes with campus activity and weather.
Measuring and increasing water reuse supports SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by conserving potable water and treating wastewater safely. Tracking consumption to reduce demand supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Reuse infrastructure also contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by easing pressure on Baguio City’s water supply.
Source: Campus Management Office, University of the Cordilleras, Annual Report 2025. Monthly reuse shares and per-person recycled water are calculated from the report’s figures.
