Being good stewards of water resources and eliminating waste are recognized to be among Cal Poly's most important sustainability efforts. Throughout the years, Cal Poly has been an excellent steward of its water resources, having implemented hundreds of water conservation measures. Since 2003, total campus water usage has remained nearly flat despite a 60% growth in building square footage and 100% growth of on‐campus residency over the same period. Even with these past accomplishments, ongoing drought coupled with the Governor's mandate to reduce 25% of personal (potable) water use by February 2016 required a acceleration of efforts.