Not Enough

After last week's rains, in which as much as five or six inches fell on parts of the Triangle, is it still important to conserve water? While some numbers are indicating that water consumption was on the way back up after the rain, Duke experts say conservation measures are still needed.

"Absolutely. At this point, facing a potentially dry winter, conservation and water efficiency are our most important source of water," said Eben Polk, a research associate at the Nicholas Institute. "Last week's rain was critical, but more rain is needed. Going into last week, Durham had about 68 days in its clean water supply, and last week's rain provided about seven additional days.

"The water level in Lake Michie, one of our main water supplies, rose a couple feet but is still several feet below normal. At the state level, we need about 20 to 30 inches of rain to emerge from the drought but as many as 50 inches to make up our full deficit," Polk said.

For more details about drought conditions in North Carolina and throughout the southeast, click here

"The state climatologist anticipates a dry winter, meaning that we may reach the spring and summer with even less water than we had in 2007. The state has activated the State Emergency Response Team, which usually deals with hurricanes or winter storms, to oversee drought response efforts."

Durham is categorized by the National Drought Monitor as being in an extreme drought, the second most intense level of drought. (Parts of western North Carolina and much of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina are in the highest category, exceptional drought.)

It is the most extreme drought in recorded Triangle history, and the governor has called upon individuals to reduce water consumption by half. Duke is the largest consumer of water in Durham County, having used 566.4 million gallons during the last fiscal year that ended June 30. That figure represents a reduction of 30 million gallons from the previous year.

Some of that reduction reflects long-term efforts on sustainability that save water. Operational adjustments at the chilled water plant save 9,000 gallons daily as well as provide more efficient cooling of campus buildings. The installation of waterless urinals in new buildings such as the French Family Science Center save an estimated two million gallons annually. And the Fitzpatrick CIEMAS building has a 70,000-gallon cistern underground to collect rainwater, which is used to irrigate the two-acre complex.

But in addition to long-term initiatives, Duke has taken immediate measures during the drought with the goal of reducing water consumption by 30 percent.

The pie chart (above) shows the division of water usage and some of the challenges Duke faces. More than 20 percent of water usage goes toward hospital and patient care, much of which can't be reduced. That means other areas have to take on additional responsibility for water conservation. Irrigation provides one means of conservation, but it represents only 8 percent of total university consumption.

Below are some of the conservation measures Duke has taken since the summer:

• Facilities Management stopped washing its fleet of 180 vehicles except for windows, which need to remain clean for safety.
• Dining facilities in the Great Hall and Marketplace will reduce water used in dish washing by approximately 60 percent every day by using disposable plates and cups. The Refectory, taking the same measures, expects to save 800 gallons daily.
• Instead of running water over frozen food, Duke dining personnel are thawing food inside refrigerators.
• All ornamental water features in Duke Gardens have been turned off. When seasonal plants are installed in the gardens' terrace area, they will be watered only once using water from the pond in the Asiatic arboretum. Durham city water will not be used, and flower beds outside of the terrace area will be planted only with winter bulbs that will not be watered.
• Mulch has been added to reduce evaporative water loss from planting areas.
• Power washing has been discontinued.
• Watering of the golf course at the Washington Duke Inn has been restricted to the 18 greens.
• Watering of the artificial Williams Field on East Campus was reduced to 36 minutes to only half of the field for three minutes. Watering of the field, which is used for Field Hockey, is recommended by international sports safety standards.

Duke University Hospital has also taken several measures:

• Hospital staff are changing bed linens less frequently.
• Use of waterless hand sanitizer is being encouraged at the hospital.
• Toilets and urinals are being converted to low flush.
• A maintenance hotline number to report leaks is posted in all bathrooms.