Campus works to conserve water as drought hits area


Vol. 18, No. 39	Aug. 26, 1999

Campus works to conserve water as drought hits area

This spray at the water retention pond-near the Bob Carpenter Center at the corner of
South College and Route 4-is not a fountain. It is, instead, a way of aerating, and thus
making more pure, the runoff that collects in the water retention pond.

Delaware-along with much of the East Coast-has been experiencing the worst drought in decades, and the University and city of Newark are preparing for the arrival of thousands of students whose presence will increase daily water consumption.

Since Aug. 5, when the state announced mandatory water restrictions, Newark and the University have been following the guidelines that prohibit watering of lawns, washing pavements and vehicles and the use of water for ornamental purposes.

In addition, Newark has developed a drought emergency plan, which involves shutting off service to areas of the city on a rotating basis, if the water crisis intensifies.

The University also initiated a number of practices to further reduce its water consumption, and staff members in residence life are making plans to educate students to the seriousness of the situation as soon as they arrive on campus.

But, good water management practices are not something new on the UD campus. According to Dick Walter, Facilities Management, much of those practices are part of a proactive, ongoing conservation and energy-saving strategy that was in place long before the current drought situation developed.

Restricted-flow heads, for example, have been installed in all showers, and reduced-volume toilet fixtures are now standard in new and renovated facilities, including Sypherd, Sussex, Warner and Brown residence halls.

During August, UD intensified its level of conservation by seeking new ways to reduce water consumption as well as ways to reuse water or make use of nonpotable water sources, Walter said.

For example:

Selective watering is being done for newer trees and some other perennials using water collected from building sump pumps and from storm water ponds. No potable water is being used, and "gaitor" bags, which provide slow release of their water, are being used on recently planted trees.
In cooperation with the city of Newark and the state Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, nonpotable water from the city's north wellfields is being used on Delaware Stadium's field and adjacent practice fields to help insure the safety of student-athletes.
Nonpotable, used water taken from a campus retention basin is being applied where needed. This basin catches runoff from a spring under the Perkins Student Center and from water used at Lammot du Pont Laboratory. Several 500-gallon tanks on flatbed trucks are being filled each day.
By Aug. 13, Facilities Management staff members had finished a complete audit of bathrooms and drinking fountains in all academic and office buildings, finding and fixing leaks at 35 sites. This search-and-fix program will continue indefinitely. A similar program also was conducted in all residence halls on campus.
Wastewater used as cooling in laboratories and other areas on campus is being reviewed for reuse at other campus locations.

According to Ralph Johnson, residential and conference facilities, educational materials about the drought and campus ways to conserve will be placed in each residence hall room on campus by the start of the fall term.

Water conservation tips include taking shorter showers, turning off the water while shaving and brushing teeth and not letting water run while washing dishes.

"The education program began with a training session for all residence hall directors about the importance of water conservation, as well as practical ways to reduce consumption," Johnson said. "This information will then be passed on to all resident assistants, who will reinforce the need for water-use reduction to students as soon as they arrive on campus."

Water-saving suggestions also can be found at several web sites, including: <http://www.dnrec. state.de.us/watrsave.htm>, <http:www.state.nj.us/drbc/ tips.htm> and <http://www. ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dep/html/ dodont.html>.

Both Johnson and Walter said the drought is the most severe they've experienced in their years at UD.

"We had dry conditions several years ago, in 1995," Walter said, "but, at that time, it was only outdoor watering that was affected. This drought is much more severe, and we're looking at ways to reduce consumption while continuing to deliver the water needed by our students and staff."

-Ed Okonowicz

Reducing water use at UD high priority for a decade

Reduction of water use has been a priority for UD for a decade," Dave Hollowell, executive vice president, said, "and the success of our efforts is clearly shown in a decrease in water use of more than 20 percent during that time period. And, this has occurred even with significant growth in the number of buildings and landscaped areas."

UD water use during the 1991-92 fiscal year was 345.8 million gallons, according to Dick Walter, Facilities Management. Last year, even with a 12 percent increase in building space since 1992-from 6.1 to 6.8 million square feet-UD reduced its water use by 21.2 percent to 272.5 million gallons per year.

-Ed Okonowicz