UNC Could Face More Limits

Officials stated in an e-mail last Thursday to Hinton James Residence Hall residents that in extreme circumstances, students could face the shut-off of water fountains and ice machines, the replacement of restrooms in academic buildings by mobile restrooms and periodic water outages.

Rick Bradley, assistant director of housing and residential education said the Water Conservation Task Force, a newly formed group of 10 to 12 staff and students, will meet Tuesday to decide what measures will be taken to reduce water consumption on campus. More stringent restrictions -- like shutting off water fountains -- only will be enforced under extreme circumstances, he said.

"As long as students are semi-responsible they shouldn't see the effects," said Bradley. "The sad thing is, students oftentimes don't react until they see the effects."

Joanna Jordan, Residence Hall Association president, said the task force will decide this week if water fountains and ice machines will be turned off.

But Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor for campus services, wrote in an e-mail that the University is working hard to reduce the amount of water consumed on campus while limiting the restrictions forced upon the community. "The University is not looking at turning off indoor water fountains or ice machines at this time," she wrote.

UNC officials set the water-saving goal in response to one of the worst droughts in North Carolina history. The region's water reservoir is 16 feet below normal, and officials have said that without rain, Orange County's water supply could run out early next year.

Cindy Shea, UNC's sustainability coordinator, said the community will need to employ serious changes to reduce water consumption during the drought. "I think that people really don't understand that magnitude of this emergency," she said.

Shea said many people do not realize the amount of water they consume. Every time a toilet flushes, 1.6 gallons of water flow down the drain, she said. Every minute a shower runs it uses 2.5 gallons of water.

She explained that altering behavior is the quickest and easiest approach to reducing water consumption by 25 percent.

The University has undertaken an "Every Drop Counts" campaign to publicize the necessity for water conservation. "I hope it will be very effective. I think it is something students are already aware of," Bradley said.

Elfland said the largest indoor use of water is toilet flushing. Other major uses are washing machines and allowing water to run while washing dishes, brushing teeth and shaving. Letting water run wastes three gallons a minute.

Toilets should not be used as trash cans and should be flushed every other time. "A lot of people will find that challenging," Shea said.

Students should limit their showers to four minutes and turn the water off while brushing their teeth and shaving. Dishwashers and laundry machines should only be used when full, Shea said.

The campaign urges students to report all leaks to the facilities services' work reception center at 962-3456 or fixmyroom@fac.unc.edu. These reports are considered emergencies and will be fixed immediately, officials said.

Officials encourage students to drink bottled water or keep jugs of water in a refrigerator instead of drinking tap water. Leftover water should be used on house plants instead of being poured down the drain. "While we need to save water, we need to keep people hydrated," Shea said.

With only about 130 days left of water and no end to the drought in sight, the restrictions imposed on the UNC community will be long-lasting, officials said.

Bradley said, "Unless we get significant rainfall, this will be an issue that the University will have to face for the next couple of years."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.