Agnes Scott College Water Action Plan:



Agnes Scott College Water Action Plan:

Reducing Agnes Scott’s Water Footprint

Spring 2012

Sustainability Mission Statement

As part of our college mission to live honorably, we accept the challenge of environmental stewardship, commit to education and leadership in sustainability and seek to balance what the college takes from and returns to the world’s natural resources.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Sustainability at ASC….........................................................................................................3 ASC Water Plan...................................................................................................................3 Financing and Next Steps....................................................................................................4 Water Footprint..............................................................................................................................4 ASC Water Footprint...........................................................................................................4

ASC Water Consumption per building…………………………………………………………………………….6

Potable Water Use - Benchmarking with Other Universities ...........................................11 Strategies for Achieving Water Sustainability...............................................................................11 Strategies in Focus........................................................................................................................11 Potable Water.…...............................................................................................................12 Wastewater......................................................................................................................14 Bottled Water...................................................................................................................15 Financing…....................................................................................................................................16 Green Revolving Fund.......................................................................................................16 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................17

Suggestions for the Future….………………………………………………………………………….…………….17

Current Projects Underway………………………………………………………………………………………….17

Appendix A: ASC Meter Map……………………………………………………………………………………………………19

Executive Summary

Sustainability at Agnes Scott College

Agnes Scott College’s (ASC) mission is to educate women to think deeply and live honorably. This community has become a living laboratory of campus-wide commitment to justice, courage, respect and responsibility through policies and practices designed to model these values. These practices have provided the campus community with ongoing opportunities for reflection, deliberation and action. As part of ASC’s mission, we build the pathways to help equip students with the knowledge and skills to contribute to a sustainable future. We are committed to education and leadership in our curriculum as well as in the community. Agnes Scott College seeks to balance what our campus takes from and returns to the world’s natural resources.

Sustainability has been an initiative at Agnes Scott College since 2007, when President Elizabeth Kiss signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) as a charter member and joined the American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). After creating an official Climate Action Plan, the college has made a commitment to be climate neutral by the year 2037. In additional to incorporating a Sustainability & Environmental Studies minor into the curriculum, with the help of the Jesse Ball DuPont foundation, a sustainability fellow was hired beginning in 2008. Beginning in 2010, the college joined the Billion Dollar Challenge with the creation of a green revolving fund.

In 2011, the university expanded its focus to energy and water conservation and this ASC Water Plan is part of that sustainable vision.

ASC Water Plan

The ASC Water Plan addresses water conservation through phases of Agnes Scott’s campus water infrastructure, as well as through research and behavioral education of students[1].

This broad based plan for water sustainability extends over three major focus areas: potable water, wastewater and bottled water. The plan is structured to be approached in a phases through retrofitting and renovations, behavioral change and innovative projects. This plan is structured with the intent of Agnes Scott being a responsible member and preserving the community watershed. Ultimately, the purpose of this plan is to reduce ASC’s water footprint in the Chattahoochee River and any other watersheds that may be affected indirectly. From this point forward, Agnes Scott College has a goal to reduce total potable water consumption by 15 percent from the original 2009 baseline. We hope to reach this goal in the next five years, checking annually to track changes. In addition, the campus will strive towards reducing the water pollution in runoff and reduce the use of bottled water on campus.

This plan summarizes the strategy Agnes Scott will follow to achieve the water conservation goal; the water audit data, specific projects that will unfold on campus and the policies on campus that will reflect this plan. The College will need to occasionally need to update and revise the ASC water plan to help with reduction with changing technologies, students or college policies. This policy will reflect similar approaches as the ASC Climate Action Plan.

Financing

To achieve the water conservation goals as well as the other climate action plan steps, Agnes Scott has begun a green revolving fund[2]. Once initial startup funds have been collected, this fund will allow for investments in water reduction through renovations or fixture retrofitting projects across campus. The college also expects to use grants, donor opportunities and rebate programs to gain a budget for water efficiency projects.

Water Footprint

In order to set a precise strategy for water conservation, the college conducted a water audit assessment of the campus in 2009. A first year seminar class measured the flow rates of water fixtures in campus buildings as a class project. The results collected by the class acted as baseline for data which would further be examined more closely beginning in 2011.

To best examine the water use on campus, the idea of using a water footprint, can best illustrate the water consumption on campus. The Office of Sustainability uses potable water data as a way to determine the consumption amount for the campus.

ASC’s Water Footprint

Water usage data was obtained from the available Dekalb County Water bills and the campus water meters[3]. These data were analyzed by total usage by building and cost per building from the year 2009. Throughout the collection of data, problems arose in terms of the location of certain water meters or missing water bills. The consumption data shown on the water bills is an important factor in being able to distinguish the most accurate number of consumption for our water footprint. The missing data caused a setback in the completion of the collection of our campus’ water consumption data; however, knowing some information from previous months for in the data has allowed us to make the most accurate estimate for the buildings needing consumption data.

Figure 1: ASC Water Consumption FY09

|Total Annual Water Consumption (in gal) |12,898,693 |

|Total Annual Cost for Campus Water Use |$104,524 |

|Total Annual Water Consumption per ASC member (per Academic year[4]/ gallons) |6,037 |

|Total Annual Cost per student (per Academic year/gallons) | |

|Total Annual Cost per ASC faculty/staff (per Academic year/gallons) | |

In 2009, ASC’s total annual water consumption was 12,898,693 gallons (gal), which amounted to a total cost of $104, 524 per year for the campus. The annual water consumption per ASC member is approximately 6, 037 gal per academic year. This was determined by accounting for 934 students, 244 staff members and 137 faculty members totaling to 1315 ASC members; and academic year of approximately 227 days annually. Agnes Scott is a full residential campus meaning all students reside on campus throughout an academic year. This information can help better understand the large amount of consumption coming from the residence halls. This indicator helps identify the areas of large water use on Agnes Scott’s campus. The water usage data were categorized by the usage of each building. The two biggest water users on campus are the residence halls and academic/office buildings (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: ASC Water Consumption

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The water footprint also provides a detailed snapshot of water consumption in different buildings across campus (see Figure 3). It allows ASC to identify trends in water consumption across campus, and identify target buildings in which to prioritize potential projects for water conservation. It is known that the residence halls on campus use almost half of the total water consumption on campus. The buildings with the highest amount of consumption such as Winship and Walters Halls would be considered target buildings in which we might choose to retrofit fixtures first among the residence halls on campus. The Woodruff Athletic building is also a large consumer of water. With an Olympic size pool in the facility this building can be considered a target building, however, innovative ideas will be needed for this building in order to combat the seasonal usage of the building as well as the swimming pool as a major factor in the consumption. Although the water consumption data for certain building still remains incomplete resulting in formulating an estimate, the consumption numbers for all buildings on campus still give us a greater idea of which buildings to focus on when the retrofits and renovations take place.

Figure 3: ASC Building Consumption

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Looking at individual buildings will not only help us determine target buildings but also identify patterns of water use during summer and academic months of the year. Below are a series of charts representing the average water consumption from 2007-2010 of target buildings on campus and possible assumptions as to the pattern identified in the graph. The first series of graphs are academic building and the second series is of residential halls.

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In the above two graph, both Bullock and the Dana Fine Arts Building have similar patterns of water consumption. Both of these buildings are strictly classroom buildings, therefore, water consumption in these buildings should be lower than other campus buildings. After noticing this issue of higher consumption during the summer months, we contacted our facilities department. In the summer, water is consumed to keep the cooling towers full so that they can absorb heat from the chillers and disperse it to the atmosphere.  The cooling is done by evaporation of the water, so there is a fairly large demand of water. This clarification explains why the water consumption is higher during the summer months in order to help cool the buildings during the hot weather.

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In the above graph, Alston, the student center, and McCain, our campus library, are both on one water meter resulting in the water consumption data for these buildings to be shared. With an alternative dining option in the student center, it can be understood that a higher usage of water would be used for food preparation during the months in which students are on campus. February in particular, is one of the few months during an academic year in which students are on campus during the entire month.

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One of the largest consuming buildings on campus, Woodruff, is the athletic facility for all sports and student athletics on campus. An assumption can be made for this high consumption which could result from the maintenance of the Olympic size swimming pool inside this building. There is also a large women’s and men’s locker rooms for all visitors and athletes. These activities taking place can explain a steady consumption across the entire year; however, the spike in consumption in September cannot be explained.

The following three buildings have similar patterns because of the primary student usage of these buildings.

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Evans Dining hall and the two first year halls, Winship and Walters, have similar patterns throughout the year. Summer months (including July to mid August and mid May until June) as well as during winter break in December are lower consumption numbers because of the absence of students on campus. During the fall and spring semester, the water consumption rises. Both Winship and Walters have high water consumption, therefore, we hope to use these buildings as targets to reduce water using retrofitting and behavioral change.

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The last graph is of the three theme houses located across the street from the main campus. These houses are treated as another form of residence halls, each house holding approximately six to eight people. These houses share the same pattern as the other residence halls above which results in higher consumption during the academic year and lower consumption during summer months. The consumption in these houses is still considered to be high which is why one of these houses was chosen for the Eco House project, described later in this plan.

Water Footprint- Benchmarking with Other Universities

There are very few comparable schools to Agnes Scott College (in terms of location and resident population) that also publish up-to-date water consumption data. As shown in Figure 4[5], ASC is among the lower total annual water consumption users. The chart of schools below represents schools as close in size to ASC as we have found, this includes residential students and non-residential part-time and fulltime faculty, staff and campus community. Although many of these schools listed have shown water conservation initiatives on their school webpage, none of these schools have published target goals or action plans.

Looking further at larger universities and colleges in which are different in size and location, Agnes Scott’s water consumption still remains relatively low considering the status as an all residential campus. The Agnes Scott Water Plan will lay out clear goals and tactics to reach a reduction in water consumption.

Figure 4: School Water Usage Benchmark

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Strategies for Achieving a Reduction in Water Consumption

Water scarcity has become a global issue that is increasing every year. In the state of Georgia, in particular, droughts have been a major issue over the last decade causing much of the state to be put on water restriction. Agnes Scott’s campus is located in Dekalb County which receives water from the Chattahoochee River. In order to help conserve as much water for the rivers and lakes, universities need to make a framework to allow for innovative ideas and research to reduce as much water use as possible.

The ASC water footprint focuses on not only water consumption but the quality of water that returns to the local watershed. As mentioned previously, ASC’s water plan takes on three components to reduce the college’s negative impact on the local watershed.—Renovate, Reduce, and Innovate. Renovations in the campus buildings will be the initial component that will always be an ongoing project to help each building be updated with new fixtures such as low flow or dual flush bath fixtures. Next, reducing the amount water consumption on campus will implemented through education and behavioral changes with students, staff and faculty. Lastly, innovative ideas to help reduce water consumption and improve water quality will become possible with additional funding in the college’s future plans. These components will continue over time as a cycle such as with new technology advances or financing.

Below is an overview of ASC’s potential water plan goals and targets to help reduce water consumption and improve water quality in Dekalb County’s watershed.

Figure 5: ASC Water Consumption Goals

| |Potable Water |Wastewater |Bottled Water |

| | | | |

|Retrofit |Goal: Retrofit all fixtures on campus, where| |Goal: Update existing water coolers and|

| |needed, to low flow fixtures and dual flush | |install new hydration stations |

|Reduce |Goal: Reduce potable water consumption |Overall Goal: To reduce the |Goal: To reduce the amount of bottled |

| | |amount of contaminants coming |water use on campus |

| |Target: Reduce 15% water consumption over |from campus entering the | |

| |the next 5 years |watershed through ASC water |Target: Reduce bottled water use by 50%|

| | |system |in 5 years |

|Innovate |Goal: With new financing, campus should | |Goal: Allow for new technologies for |

| |implement new technologies for reducing | |drinking water systems |

| |water consumption | | |

| | | |Target: Have 100% use of |

| |Target: Future plans should include | |water/hydration coolers without the use|

| |greywater systems and improving retention | |of bottles |

| |pond irrigation | | |

Potable Water

Potable water can be defined as all water that is safe for human consumption that comes through pipes to all fixtures such as faucets, water coolers, toilets, etc. In many cases, any source that publishes their water footprint typically focuses on potable water consumed, as this type has the greatest potential for reduction and cost savings. Potable water, in most cases, will have the most understanding when educating the community and result in the most impact in water consumption.

Retrofit, Reduce & Innovate

Agnes Scott’s goal is to reduce its potable water footprint by an overall reduction of 15 percent in total annual water consumption (in gallons) over five years from FY09 baseline. The indicator for our target is total annual water consumption because it will provide an overview of the total water used on campus per year during this time frame.

In order to reach our target goal, the college has performed an audit of the campus buildings and the consumption to identify potential water savings with retrofits of fixtures to improve overall water efficiency. Many of the fixtures on campus are out of date and are not within the standardized flow rates. For instance, many of the faucets around campus are higher than the average 2.5 gallon per minute (gpm) flow rate. This issue can be resolved through retrofitting fixtures to a lower gpm flow rate. After consideration, the residential buildings will take priority because they were found to make the largest impact on water consumption on campus. The chart in Figure 6 shows a possible calculation of cost savings with the installation of low flow showerheads and faucets. The cost savings for replacing all showerheads on campus could be approximately $28,221. With financial consideration, the first year dorm halls will be retrofitted in the first round of renovations in order to begin the behavioral changes among the first year students when they first arrive on campus. The first year halls will have retrofits of showerheads, faucets and potentially toilets and hopefully the payback period for these projects should be within a year’s time.

Figure 6: Cost savings for low flow fixtures[6]

|Building |No. of Shower fixtures (2.5 |Cost Savings |Consumption Savings|No. of Faucets (2.5 gpm to 1.5 gpm) |

| |gpm to 1.6 gpm) | | | |

|Alston |5 |$255.28 |20,531 |33 |

|Dana |  | | |37 |

|Hopkins |7 |$882.25 |70,956 |21 |

|Main |16 |$6,126.72 |492,750 |41 |

|Rebekah |16 |$3,676.03 |295,650 |42 |

|Walters |21 |$6,739.39 |542,025 |56 |

|Woodruff |34 |$408.45 |32,850 |21 |

|Price of low flow shower |$20 (per showerhead) |

|head |x 147= $2,958[7]* |

This target goal of 15 percent was calculated after consideration of the possible reduction in consumption by installing low flow fixtures in buildings across campus. In addition to renovations, we have also included the possible behavioral changes made by students.

Sample strategies to complete this goal will include:

1. Install low flow fixtures during renovation of buildings using green revolving fund; investments in water reduction can be made by installing fixtures such as front loading washers, dual flush toilets and insulating hot water pipes across campus.

2. During any repairs or future renovations, facilities will prioritize all fixtures to be LEED standard or WaterSense products, an Environmental Protection Agency affiliate.

3. Buildings will participate in Consumption Challenges to make water reduction a competition among residents.

4. An educational campaign will take place to help students learn about the impacts of their water consumption and help students reduce the amount they use.

5. With any new installation of a water reduction fixture, residential assistants in the chosen building will inform all residents of the building and properly educate the users so there is the largest impact of water reduction possible.

6. Continue the leak hotline available across campus while potentially creating new advances in email notifications, etc. to help reduce any leaks students see in buildings.

Many of the issues surrounding water reduction have already begun to be taken care of by ASC facilities department. One particular issue was the response time for hot water to the showers located in the upper floors of Main Hall. Facilities took care of this issue resolving the time it took to receive hot water for a shower and now, students have been able to reduce their time taken in the showers. In addition, with any financial assistance, innovative projects can be implemented to help reduce the overall consumption of potable water. Rainfall capture and the use of grey water should be considered as some of the next steps to help Agnes Scott reduce their water footprint. The potential for capturing rainfall on the roofs of buildings could help save more water for landscaping purposes in addition to the retention pond which currently exists as the sole source for irrigation on campus.

Wastewater

Wastewater is water that has been used and contains dissolved or composed waste materials. Sources of wastewater can include sewage from labs, cleaning products, as well as stormwater runoff. The contaminants include chemicals from various sources, organic matter, litter, and pharmaceuticals that have detrimental effects on the local watershed.

ASC’s wastewater goal is to reduce the overall amount of contaminants coming from our campus and entering the water system. The amount of wastewater our campus can reduce will help our local watershed remain clean.

The college should identify two main sources that impact the local watershed; litter and chemical pollutants. Litter is a major issue of concern for not only the campus but the surrounding community. Students, faculty, staff and the college community should care for the college grounds and take responsibility for litter on campus. Litter can cause drainage problems and ultimately pollutes the stormwater. Chemical pollutants can also have a serious impact on the local watershed from improper disposal of cleaning products and chemical contaminants from science laboratories. In order to protect the quality of drinking water in our community, the school should prioritize cleanups both with litter cleanup and responsible chemical disposals. Students could also participate in “community days” in which cleanups around campus take place.

Bottled Water

Bottled water refers to the drinking water packaged in recyclable plastic bottles, whether it is in individual size bottles or large bottles used for water coolers. These bottles should be considered very unsustainable because of the large carbon footprint related to the manufacturing process, transportation and the disposal of water bottles. In many cases, bottle water has a negative effect on the community and the quantity of drinking water available within the community.

Although in many cases bottled water has been argued not to have as large of an impact on the watershed or environment as waste or recycling but ASC believes bottled water should be considered in this action plan due to the ideas associated with tap water as well as impact made from the negative end result of bottled water.

Campus Drinking Water Inspection

During the month of September in 2011, the routine sampling of the campus water supply, by the Dekalb County Department of Watershed Management, reported that the campus water was found to meet the requirements for potability as prescribed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The sampling reported as followed:

Figure 7: ASC Drinking Water Sample[8]

| |pH |Chlorine |Iron |Colilert |

|EPA standard |7.0-9.0 | |0.3mg/l | |

|ASC Water |9.0 |0.89 ppm |0.02 ppm |Absence |

(ppm): parts per million

Retrofit & Reduce

Tap water has been reported to be more economical and sustainable compared to bottled water. ASC’s goal is to reduce the use of bottled water on campus, with a target of over 50 percent reduction in 5 years. The college will encourage the use of reusable water bottles through making reusable water bottles for sale in dining services. Students will be encouraged to purchase the bottles with an incentive through discounts and ability to use their declining balance from their meal plan to purchase the bottles. If an overall reduction takes place, the financial spending made should reduce because the demand for the bottled products will decrease. An argument can be made that campus consumption will increase with more tap water use but the impact will be minimal when comparing to the overall impact bottled water makes on the watershed.

Another consideration made on many campuses has been to ban bottled water but ASC plans to reduce the amount of bottles on campus and not fully ban students from using them. Instead, the college plans to encourage students to use renewable containers will be a high priority as well as the making sure any bottles being used are eventually recycled.

To achieve this target goal, the college will consider these strategies:

1. Repair and improve quality of existing water fountains on campus in order to promote the use of water fountains instead of bottled water.

2. In areas of student dining where bottles are sold, install a hydration station or bottle filling stations and make available reusable bottles for students to purchase

3. Increase signage and communication to encourage the campus community to drink tap water. Publishing the results of the drinking quality report will help advertise

4. Partner with the dining hall and other dining service to apply discounts for people using reusable products

5. Using water pitchers and cups when hosting an event or meeting instead of providing bottles for all attendees

Innovate

Part of the innovation within this goal is the educational factor that will take place in order for students to understand the impact bottled water has on a community. Educating the community on the impacts made during the manufacturing process on a community as well as the impact on the environment from the bottles not recycled. Although the campus has the option to eliminate all bottled waters available, ASC is hopeful that students and the community will choice to help reduce the amount of bottle use while on campus as well as recycle when possible.

Financing

The college will have a goal to invest in water saving technologies in the next 10 years to reach future sustainability goals. The savings that will result from these technologies will help the college create even more savings as ASC reduces its water use. Any future renovations on campus will also include installing only water-efficient technology which will allow for funds to return to the college’s green revolving fund.

Green Revolving Fund

Agnes Scott College’s green revolving fund involves an initial investment which is used to fund sustainability-related projects. As these projects save the college in costs associated with energy consumption, water and other operations, the funds saved are then put back into the fund to be used to pay for future sustainability projects, thereby lowering operating costs on college and university campuses[9].

Suggestions for the Future

The ASC Water Action Plan will act as a guide for water reduction on campus and ultimately help reflect the progress in water reduction Agnes Scott has made in the future. The first phase of target goals this plan has made hopes to be achieved in the near future, at that time the plan will be updated and new goals will be created.

Throughout the process suggestions for the college to help with improvement have been collected:

1. Updated mapping of water meters on campus- In order to better assess the water consumption data, an update of the location of meters on campus is needed. It has become unclear as to certain buildings meter locations. These issues must be resolved in order to help collect data as well as allow the facilities department be prepared when a pipe leaks and causes a building to flood.

2. Promotion of Water Consumption Plan- In the next year, promotion of these commitments to reducing the campus’ water footprint is crucial. Ideas and projects to help introduce campus to a new way of thinking is needed. For instance, during orientation for new students every Fall, promoting the use of reusable water bottles/no water bottles from staff and students could help start a new trend for the academic year

Current Projects Underway:

Beginning in the fall 2012 semester, Agnes Scott will open the college’s first Eco House on campus. Taking one of the three Victorian style houses located across the street from the main campus, the Office of Sustainability and Residence Life have worked together to allow selected students to live in a house with a goal of more sustainable living.

The Eco House will serve as an educational opportunity for students as well as community members by showing the efforts made by the residents to reduce their energy and water consumption, to reduce their waste, and to participate in other activities that they may choose, such as gardening. Although the residents of the house will be students, their efforts made while living in the house will help the community to learn how they can reduce their dependency on consumption of the Earth’s resources.

The Office of Sustainability will also benefit greatly from this new project by also collecting data from the utilities of the house. We plan to monitor the house in both energy and water consumption in order to see the reduction made by retrofits to the house and behavioral change efforts made by students. The students, upon being selected to live in the house, commit to a more sustainable lifestyle and create goals for the house to live by. In addition to collecting data, the Eco House will also help spread awareness about environmental concerns and educate the rest of the campus about ways to live more efficiently and become more conscious about how their choices affect the world. This house will embody the ideas of sustainability on campus through example. With the success of the Eco House in cost savings and consumption reduction, there is potential to expand the concept and lifestyle of this house to the additional two Theme houses.

Appendix A: ASC Campus Water Meter Map

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* stars on map indicate identified water meter

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[1] This water action plan was created with the help of George Washington University’s GWater Plan as a guideline for potential framing of our plan.

[2] Green revolving funds involve an initial investment which is used to fund sustainability-related projects. As these projects save the college in costs associated with energy consumption, water and other operations, the funds saved are then put back into the fund to be used to pay for future sustainability projects, thereby lowering operating costs on college and university campuses.

[3] Water meters across campus are marked on a meter map. The meters were found during a campus community day when faculty and staff surveyed the campus for water meter. A few meters were no determined which has caused missing data for two of the residential buildings on campus. These residential buildings’ water consumption were estimated so they could accurately be inputted into our data collection.

[4] An academic year consists of 227 days annually in which all residents and employees of the college are on campus.

[5] Research of water consumption data from the above schools are reported on AASHE’s STARS

[6] Calculations made by using a typical water savings calculator. The calculator takes the average number of showers taken per day, average length of each shower (in minutes), the flow rate of shower head of original shower head and lastly, the flow rate of the new low flow fixture.

[7] Total cost is not including labor

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[10] Agnes Scott College joined the Green Billion Dollar Challenge in 2011, a challenge with colleges and universities around the nation to raise one billion dollars to launch their own green revolving funds.

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