From Kennesaw State University’s KSU Access, Dec. 2007/Jan. 2008. Text gathered via optical character recognition.
By Jeremy Craig
North Georgia is in its worst drought since the 1980s, and Kennesaw State University is doing its part to be a good steward and conserve water.
With major sources of water — such as nearby Lake Allatoona — perilously low, KSU has enacted steps to save this resource, from replacing nearly all campus faucets to complying with state rules mandating significant water-use reductions.
“Kennesaw State University has taken a variety of steps to find additional ways to conserve our water resources,” said Geraid Donaldson, KSU’s director of Environmental Health and Safety. “We will continue to be good stewards of our natural resources to ensure that we have a sufficient supply of safe drinking water now and in the future.” Kennesaw State used about 36.1 million gallons of water during fiscal year 2007, according to Jodie Sweat, director of KSU Plant Operations.
All state agencies, including Kennesaw State, have been directed by an executive order from Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to reduce water consumption by 10 percent to 15 percent.
KSU is complying with state mandates called for by the governor in his executive order, which include:
- Conducting periodic checks of restrooms, boiler rooms and other appliances;
- Compliance with the outdoor watering ban; Halting washing of the state vehicle fleet, except in cases that would compromise driver safety; and
- Limiting water use in cleaning state facilities when posslble, including a complete ban on power washing.
KSU crews have replaced all campus faucets with water efficient varieties. Sweat said that standard faucets use 2.5 gallons of water per minute; the new faucets use only a half gallon per minute.
As fixtures are upgraded, Sweat says students, faculty and staff can do their part to save water.
“We are reminding the campus to use water sparingly, and to be on the lookout for leaks that need to be reported and repaired,” Sweat explained.
Students living in KSU residence halls also have been asked to conserve water, said Michael Sanseviro, residence life director. Indeed, the November residence life newsletter urging water conservation includes helpful tips similar to those sent by local and state governments to private homes.
Tips include taking shorter showers and avoiding baths, turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving, and washing only full loads of laundry and dishes.
Years before the current drought, KSU worked to save water. For more than 14 years, grounds staff have been using native and drought-tolerant plants for landscaping as part of an integrated pest control management system, Sweat said. Even KSU’s latest campus addition, the new Social Sciences Building, was designed with water conservation in mind. Opened in January 2007, it has ultra-low-flow faucets and toilets, helping the building to earn Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
Future buildings at KSU also will save water. High-efficiency toilets will be installed in the new 913-bed residence hall of the University Village campus housing complex, projected to open in 2008. That move could save up to 800,000 gallons of water a year.
More information about water conservation is available online at www.conservewatergeorgia.net.