Ithaca College Taking Voluntary Water Conservation Measures

07/29/16

While Ithaca College is not yet being directly affected by the severe drought in the Ithaca area, the college is taking proactive steps to reduce water usage, and asking members of the campus community to consider ways they can lessen individual water consumption.

The campus is served by the Bolton Point Water System, which—unlike the water source for some other local communities and institutions—is not currently facing low supply levels. Nevertheless, the college is interested in being a good steward of our natural resources, and we will update the campus community should conditions change.

The following voluntary measures are being taken by the college:

• The washing of college vehicles and cleaning of outdoor surfaces with water (building entranceways, sidewalks, e.g.) has been halted.
   
• The Dillingham Fountain functions by using continuously recirculated water. However, to reduce water lost through overspray, the height of the fountain has been lowered by half. Additionally, the fountain will be turned off between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
   
• For campus buildings with air-conditioning, the cooling tower feed rates are being adjusted to reduce water used to control conductivity. Additionally, the Office of Facilities is auditing each of these buildings to ensure that the cooling temperatures are at correct set-points, and making adjustments as necessary.
   
• Where possible, stormwater runoff will be reclaimed and used for watering of vegetation.
   
• The Office of Facilities team will look for leaks and other maintenance issues that might be leading to unnecessary water flows, and work orders for making repairs will receive priority, where possible.
   
• The college has been conserving water all summer by not watering athletic fields, but watering is taking place at this time for the safety of our student-athletes.

All members of the IC community are asked to take water conservation into consideration—both on and off campus. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provides some helpful tips for reducing water consumption.

These short-term measures will be continually evaluated, and water consumption monitored, in order to ensure that the college is continuing to provide an appropriate environment for living, teaching, working, and learning.

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