Duke Establishes $5 Million Water Conservation Fund

As part of its continuing efforts to reduce water consumption during the region's drought, Duke University will dedicate $5 million for water conservation projects.

The new fund will help pay for improvements to facility infrastructure and for new operational initiatives aimed at saving water, said Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III.

"Water conservation is not new at Duke," Trask said. "Duke has been a leader in environmental stewardship, implementing water-saving projects that go back 10 years. This fund will help us move more quickly to make operational changes at Duke to address the current drought and enhance our ongoing water conservation efforts."

In one of the first initiatives to be funded, Duke will give away an initial batch of 5,000 "low water flow" showerheads to Duke faculty, staff and off-campus students. Each 1.5 gallons-per-minute showerhead will save an estimated 7,300 gallons of water annually, compared to a standard 2.5 gallons-per-minute fixture, according to the showerhead manufacturer.

Duke's showerhead distribution begins Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Duke Chapel. A Duke ID is required. Limited parking is available for 15 minutes in the Bryan Center surface lot. Duke facilities and sustainability staff will be available at the showerhead giveaway to answer questions.

"Most of the Duke community lives in Durham and other parts of the Triangle," said Tavey McDaniel Capps, Duke's environmental sustainability coordinator. "With a few twists of the wrists, a new showerhead can reduce water use at home and help provide immediate relief for regional demands."

Duke will make low-flow showerheads available to employees beginning Monday. Photo: Megan Morr

Showerhead distribution will continue from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 11 through Dec. 21 in Duke's Smith Warehouse Work Control Center, 114 S. Buchanan Blvd. Upon completion of the initial distribution, the university will evaluate the program and determine whether to expand it.

In other water-saving measures, Duke's Residence Life & Housing Services will continue to replace more than 1,000 showerheads in campus residence halls with 1.5 gallons-per-minute fixtures, saving thousands of gallons per day.

Duke also has invested more than $50 million to date to build and expand a central chilled water system, which consumes substantially less water than individual cooling systems for buildings on campus.

Duke's commitment to saving water pre-dates the drought. For several years, the university has required that all new buildings follow Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) guidelines, which include water conservation.