The Oracle

Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Local

Media Credit: Dustin Demmer Hamlin's Blue Garden fountain, currently dry

Media Credit: Dustin Demmer One of the university's many fountains chokes up a small amount of water in the Drew Science Center.

Wake up, shower, brush teeth, possibly shave, grab a drink of water from the drinking fountain and run to class. It's a morning ritual that may sound familiar to many college students. What many people may not notice is that several of these activities use water, and lots of it.

Much of the earth is covered in water, but 97.5 percent of it is salt water unfit for human consumption according to the World Water Council. If the world's water supply fit into a bucket, only one teaspoon would be drinkable. Water is a finite resource. While the world's population has tripled in the last fifty years, water consumption has increased six times.

The UN recommends that every person should have at least 13 gallons of water available to them everyday. According to the UN Human Development Report, the average citizen of Mozambique uses only one gallon for sanitation and consumption, while the average American uses 105.

Across the country, colleges and universities have begun to take note of their water consumption and have taken steps to reduce it.

Hamline is no exception. This year, Sorin Dining Hall has taken away trays in the cafeteria. According to Aramark Higher Education, it takes one-half gallon of heated water to wash one tray each time it is used. Earlier in the year, the Star Tribune estimated that 6700 students eat in Sorin every week. As a result, Sorin is saving approximately 3350 gallons of water every week, and over 120,000 gallons of water each academic year.

"I don't mind the efforts that Sorin has taken to reduce waste," said Card. "I can live without a tray. It was a good idea."

The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, C.A. enrolls about 2,100 students, and drank up a total of 186 million gallons of water during the 2007 fiscal year. Cal Tech has since tried to introduce water saving methods including water efficient plumbing, drought tolerant grasses and a computerized irrigation control system on their 124 acre campus.

Duke University in Durham, N.C. enrolls nearly 13,000 students and on a campus of 9,300 acres. According to their website, Duke consumed 566.4 million gallons of water in 2007. In the past few years, Duke has embraced sustainability efforts including distribution of low-flow showerheads, adjusted cooling systems and turning off ornamental water features.

But how conservational are the students here at Hamline? According to several students, living at school has caused them to think about water usage less.

"I've never really thought about conservation here at campus," said sophomore Annell Velasco, a former resident of the heights. "I just did the usual stuff."

"Being a college student, I think having less free time has actually caused me to become more conservational," said sophomore Rose Card. "With less time to shower and do laundry I find myself bathing faster and washing larger loads of clothes."

Regarding the facilities in the dorms however, there are some ups and downs. According to Card, the showers leak often and seem to cause a great deal of waste.

"We try to get things fixed as soon as possible when they break," said Kevin Bruins, the assistant hall director.

According to the university heating plant, our campus goes through an average 1,350,000 gallons of water every month. That boils down to about 45,000 gallons of water a day, and spans to 12,150,000 gallons per academic year.

"That's surprising to hear," said Card. "I mean, it seems a bit excessive doesn't it?"

However, upon further examination of water use on college campuses of similar size and climate, it seems Hamline may not be excessive by comparison.

The Metropolitan Water Supply Council states that 26.7 percent of water use comes from toilets, 21.7 percent comes from clothes washers, 16.8 percent comes from showers and 15.7 percent comes from faucets. In essence, flushing less, washing larger loads and taking shorter showers can allow Hamline to become more water conservative.

And as far as those drinking fountains are concerned, many students find them quite useful. Rose said that she tends to re-use empty water bottles and fills them with fountain water, Velasco said she does the same.

"Water is water," said Card.

For more information about water conservation, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters

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