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Duke Ratchets Up Water Conservation

Outdoor watering strictly limited on campus

A nearly empty fountain in Duke Gardens has been turned off.

Duke is tightening the nozzle on water usage again, following the City of Durham's decision this week to pull the plug on most outdoor irrigation.

"As soon as we learned that Durham was stepping up the restrictions, we started making more changes," said John Noonan, associate vice president for Duke's Facilities Management Department.

The city's new restrictions ban all outdoor irrigation, except through the use of hand-held watering containers or drip irrigation on Saturdays from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. or 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems are not allowed at any time in residential areas until further notice. Raleigh has a similar ban, which goes into effect Oct. 23.

Who Gets to Water?

Duke is one of 40 commercial enterprises in Durham who has received an exemption from rules banning most outdoor watering. To see a full list of exemptions, click here.

10 Steps to Water Conservation

1. Turn off faucets while washing hands or brushing teeth and save 4 gallons a minute.

2. Turn water off while shampooing/ conditioning your hair and save more than 50 gallons a week.

3. Drop tissues and other waste in the trash rather than toilet and save gallons each time.

4. Report leaks, dripping faucets and running toilets. A dripping faucet wastes more than 600 gallons a year; a running toilet, more than 131,000 gallons. For University buildings, call 684-2122; residence halls, 684-5320 (East), 684-5486 (West), 684-5813 (Central); medical center, 684-3232.

5. Keep showers under 5 minutes. You'll save up to 1,000 gallons a month.

6. Wash full loads in dishwashers and washing machines. This could save up to 1,000 gallons a month.

7. Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for a cold drink.

8. Don't thaw food under running water.

9. Report sprinkler system malfunctions to Duke's Facilities Management Department, 684-2122.

10. Make a conscious effort to do one thing every day at Duke to conserve water. Every drop counts.

Duke can continue some outdoor watering because it is among about 40 commercial water consumers that recently received Stage III licenses, which allow some flexibility for businesses that submit a plan aimed at cutting water use by at least 30 percent.

James Lim, conservation coordinator the City of Durham's Department of Water Management, said Duke received a Stage III license on Sept. 27, after university officials submitted data confirming that campus-wide conservation efforts had resulted in substantial savings and that plans were being implemented to further reduce usage. He said the license application noted that Duke's overall water consumption this summer was cut by nearly 10 percent and that outdoor irrigation dropped by about 40 percent.

Although the Stage III license allows some leeway, Duke is committed to cutting back.

"We know how important it is for everyone to conserve as much as possible, so we plan to still comply with the ban on outdoor watering with only a few exceptions," Noonan said. "We will continue using water at a minimal amount on certain athletic fields to maintain safety and on selected trees, such as the trees in the student plaza outside the Bryan Center. Otherwise, those trees could be at risk of dying."

On Monday, Joe Jackson, FMD's assistant director of grounds and sanitation, reprogrammed automatic irrigation systems across campus to prevent them from turning on. Duke has already implemented other conservation methods, such as eliminating most vehicle washing, reducing the frequency and duration of landscape watering, and educating students, faculty and staff about the importance of reducing water use.

While cutting water usage is a Duke priority, there are some limitations.

Williams Field on East Campus is watered before practice and games. The International Hockey Federation, the governing body for field hockey, recommends that fields be saturated to increase safety and reduce injuries. [* See Correction below]

The good news at Williams Field is that it has new turf, which requires about 50 percent less water than with the previous field. Plus, a FMD project is in design to collect water in a holding tank so that the water can be reused each time the field needs to be saturated. Noonan said he hopes to have that system in place early next year.

Beth Bozman, coach of the Blue Devils field hockey team and a past president of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, said she has fielded questions from people who weren't aware that watering the field is a guideline.

"Since the drought began, we've reduced the watering time from 36 minutes to six minutes, which is saving a substantial amount of water," Bozman said.

"My staff has also made a commitment to conserve water at home. We're all very aware of the importance."

Along with small day-to-day changes to reduce water use, Duke has implemented broader initiatives designed to leave a lighter footprint on the environment, such as installing drought-tolerant landscaping and designing new buildings to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) guidelines.

For example, the Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences (FCIEMAS), which opened in 2004, has a 70,000-gallon cistern underground to collect rainwater that is used to irrigate the nearly two-acre complex. The French Family Science Center, which opened in December, has 50 waterless urinals and low-flow lavatories that save an estimated 2 million gallons of water annually. Flow-restrictor shower heads and sink faucets have been installed in many residence halls.

Conversations about conservation are happening across campus, and not just at water coolers.

An e-mail with water-saving tips was sent earlier this month to all Duke students and an ad with conservation advice ran recently in The Chronicle. In addition, fliers promoting conservation are on display across campus.

"There's a pretty significant level of environmental conscientiousness on campus so people are talking about ways to conserve," said senior Paul Slattery, president of Duke Student Government. "I think most students are making a good faith effort to cut back."

He said many students are making adjustments, such as shortening shower time, because they realize the importance of conserving water.

On a lighter note, Slattery added, "As for me, I have cut back on my shower time, and I'm willing to give up showers entirely until the drought is over, but that might not go over with the general public."

Duke faculty members are also assisting with water conservation by using knowledge in the service of society.

The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions released a report Sept. 4 that identifies six long-term strategies for improving water management and conservation. The report, "The Future of Water in North Carolina: Strategies for Sustaining Abundant and Clean Water," is being presented to state officials as part of a collaborative effort between Duke, other universities and stakeholders. The report is available online here.

* This story has been changed since originially posted. The international sports agency provision for watering of the field hockey field is a recommendation not a requirement for regular season play. It is also recommended for championship tournament play.