Facilities Operations & Environmental Health and Safety
Energy and Utilities
Energy and Utilities is responsible for utility production and distribution and campus energy management at the West Lafayette location.
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What is chilled water and how is it utilized?
Chilled water is used to cool buildings at the West Lafayette location. Purdue uses a centralized system to produce and distribute 100% of the chilled water used on campus.
This system keeps classrooms, labs and offices cool while also supporting research equipment that requires precise temperature control. By generating chilled water on-site, Purdue improves energy efficiency and reduces overall energy use.
What is potable water and how is it utilized?
Potable water is also known as drinking water and comes from surface water and groundwater sources. Energy and Utilities manages and maintains the Purdue in West Lafayette potable water system – pumping, treating and distributing all potable water campuswide.
Purdue University Water Works annually issues the Consumer Confidence Report on drinking water quality.
What is steam and how is it utilized?
Purdue in West Lafayette utilizes steam not only to provide heat to facilities but also to generate electricity and the chilled water that is used to cool facilities. Purdue produces 60% of the steam used on campus.
What is power and how is it utilized?
Purdue in West Lafayette uses steam from the combined heat and power plant to produce 50% of the electricity to campus. Purdue provides 50% of the power and Duke Energy provides the other 50%.
Utilities Generation
Energy and Utilities supplies and distributes steam, chilled water and electricity to Purdue University in West Lafayette via the Wade Utility Plant and the Northwest Chiller Plant.
Wade Utility Plant
A Co-Generation System
Purdue University in West Lafayette benefits from a combined heat and power system that utilizes steam not only to provide heat to facilities but also to generate electricity and the chilled water that is used to cool facilities.
Steam and chilled water are generated and distributed on campus. In addition to the electricity that is co-generated (in the combined heat and power system noted above), electricity is also purchased from an external provider. All utility operations are focused on providing safe, reliable, cost-effective services to the campus community.
Boiler Profile
Currently, there are three natural gas boilers and one coal boiler at Wade Utility Plant. The cleaner coal boiler is one that is compatible with the use of alternative fuels, including biomass, and provides important fuel flexibility for university operations.
Utility Partnership
The Duke Energy Combined Heat and Power Plant at Purdue University supplies some of the steam used for campus operations, and the electricity generated is supplied to the utility system for use statewide. This collaboration improves the overall efficiency of the utility and provides campus with thermal energy.
Utilities Distribution
Purdue University’s Water Works department owns, operates and maintains the university’s public water supply. Its mission is to provide safe, reliable water to the campus community for drinking, research, operations, irrigation, fire protection and building systems.
The department oversees Purdue’s licensed public water systems, which include multiple well houses, storage reservoirs, distribution mains, hydrants, valves and meters serving the West Lafayette campus and nearby university locations. Together, these systems deliver millions of gallons of treated groundwater each day while meeting all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) standards.
Water Works Consumer Confidence Report
Each year, Purdue University Water Works issues the Consumer Confidence Report on drinking water quality in compliance with the Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 8-2.1).
In the drinking water quality report, information is available about the source of drinking water, what it contains and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) standards.
The Water Works department is committed to providing safe and reliable service to the campus community. All test results for the 2024 calendar year are within the acceptable levels prescribed by EPA and IDEM.
To obtain a report from a prior year, contact Energy and Utilities at 765-496-2705.
Energy Management
Energy and Utilities proactively manages energy in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner and ensures planning efforts are consistent with the university’s campus master and sustainability plans.
Energy Use Monitoring
Purdue buildings have building-level meters for all utilities. By monitoring energy use, Energy and Utilities can identify abnormal or high consumption and address issues through corrective maintenance, programming or recommended behavior changes.
Energy Conservation Action Days
On days where the outside temperature and humidity levels are extreme, certain actions must be taken in order to cool campus buildings and conserve energy. While taking action to reduce energy consumption is ideal to incorporate into everyday life, on Energy Conservation Action Days, such actions are vital.
Retro-Commissioning
Retro-commissioning (RCx) supports Purdue’s sustainable operations by improving the efficiency and performance of existing campus buildings. Through RCx, Energy and Utilities identifies opportunities to reduce energy use, lower maintenance needs and create more comfortable, reliable spaces for building occupants.
Each year, Administrative Operations evaluates more than 1 million square feet of campus facilities to uncover improvements that help extend the life of building systems and reduce Purdue’s overall environmental impact.
Utilities Engineering
Energy and Utilities is responsible for managing the systems that provide essential services like electricity, water, steam and chilled water across campus. The team reviews the design, implementation and operation of these systems, conducts condition assessments and helps guide capital planning. Their work supports the long-term utility needs outlined in the campus master plan.
As a department of Administrative Operations, We Power Purdue.