Campus asked to conserve water because of severe drought conditions

The campus' brown lawns remind students daily that New Jersey is in the midst of the worst drought it has seen in a century.

"As you can tell, [the lawns are] all parched. Some are just dust," Jim Consolloy, the University's grounds manager, said.

State and University officials are urging students to do their part by accepting the severity of the problem and familiarizing themselves with the state regulations on water use.

According to the restrictions, which were revised in August, restaurants may not serve water unless patrons request it. The rules prohibit washing cars unless in a commercial carwash, filling fountains and cleaning streets, sidewalks or driveways.

In addition, lawn watering is forbidden except on athletic fields, on sod for new construction or after applying fertilizer.

The University has been adhering to the regulations and has been pumping water out of Lake Carnegie to do basic maintenance, Consolloy said.

The drought has put stress on the University's many forms of flora, he said, adding that older trees on campus, such as the American elm trees outside McCosh Hall, are showing signs of weakness because of the drought.

The state and the University have been coping with the drought since March when a state of emergency was declared in N.J. March is the earliest month on record in which a drought emergency has been declared.

Elaine Makatura of the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection said she doubted many students were aware of the magnitude of the water crisis New Jersey currently faces.

Makatura suggests students make simple changes such as shortening their showers; turning water off while washing dishes, shaving and brushing teeth; not flushing the toilet after every use; repairing leaky faucets; and showering instead of bathing.

"The first thing I think a student can do is make themselves aware of environmental issues like the drought," she said. "We are in such a deficit that we don't see an end in sight."

Makatura said the emphasis now should be not only on dealing with the present drought but also developing good habits that will prepare the state for future water shortages. "We're looking at long-term water management," she said.

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The University is also making an effort to implement long-term solutions for times of drought.

Mike Morris, supervisor of Guyot, Moffett and Lewis Thomas laboratories, has devised a system by which the University will recycle the "reject water" leftover from de-ionizing water for lab use.

The program, which will start this spring, is expected to save an estimated 2,000 gallons of water per day.

"I think it's a great idea," Morris said. "It's super clean water that they'll be able to use on their plants."