Water Use Drops

The historic drought that ravaged North Carolina in 2007 and into 2008 may be over, but Duke is still preparing to take on the threat of another long-lasting dry spell by using reclaimed water, cutting back on irrigation and implementing new technology at Sarah P. Duke Gardens to track rainfall.

Overall water consumption at the University this spring was down about 50 percent since 2007. In fact, from June 2008 to February of this year, Duke used 100 million fewer gallons than the year before. That's the equivalent of providing the daily recommended 64 ounces of water for each Durham resident every day for two-and-a-half years.

"Duke is determined to stay ahead of the game in conserving water," said John Noonan, associate vice president for Facilities Management. "We haven't let up in looking for ways to save water through maintenance or ideas for new facilities or maintenance systems."

The Triangle area has received relatively normal precipitation for this time of year, said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist for the National Drought Mitigation Center. Typically, 16.35 inches fall by mid-May, but the region had received 14.76, which is 1.59 inches below normal. Trouble spots are Eastern and Western North Carolina, which are abnormally dry.

Duke isn't taking any chances. This February, two underground holding tanks were installed at Williams Field on East Campus. The tanks collect water from an irrigation system at the field hockey field and a storm line that flows from nearby Bell Tower Residence Hall. This will allow about 80 percent of the water used at the field to be collected and reused.

Williams Field is not the only area cutting back on consumption. The Sarah P. Duke Gardens recently installed a new computerized watering system that uses satellites to track weather conditions and determine precise watering needs in some sections of the gardens. The initiative should help reduce water consumption by 30 to 40 percent in 28 spots in a five-acre segment around the Doris Duke Center. Information about each of the 28 zones' soil conditions, incline and sunlight exposure feed a controller to determine how much water to send to each zone.

"Were trying to be proactive about this to try to save water for the university, the gardens and the community," said Greg Nace, director of horticulture at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. "This is something that I think will be a positive step forward."

This summer, Duke will install tanks that can gather and hold up to 10,000 gallons of storm, cistern and reclaimed water that will be pumped or trucked to the tanks. The water will be used to irrigate portions of West Campus, including Koskinen stadium.

Faculty and staff can also take action to help conserve water by turning water off while washing hands and reporting leaks, dripping faucets and running toilets. Fixing leaks and dripping faucets can save hundreds of gallons a year.

"It's the small steps that each of us can take that end up making a big difference," said Ryan Pfirrmann-Powell, education and outreach coordinator for Duke Sustainability. "We can take personal responsibility for helping Duke and the environment."