Although the human population reproduces, water supply does not, making some students feel it is necessary to turn their attention to water conservation.
Elon’s efforts in water conservation were discussed at a national conference, held by The American Waterworks Association and the Elon University Center for Environmental Studies, which investigated innovative water reuse programs.
“It’s important for Elon students to care and know about this because it’s our generation that’s going to have to deal with it,” said sophomore Pat Howell, who attended the conference with his Humans and Nature class. “I just think, like the conference has said all morning, we still have the same amount of water we’ve had the last millions of years, but with an increasing population. We’re not creating water. We’re just going to have to find different ways to clean that water and reuse it.”
Twelve water resource experts from Elon and around the country spoke about various drivers and impediments for water reuse.
Topics discussed included drought protection, energy saving, the public perspective, sustainability for future demand and water as a resource and not a waste product. Most attendees were members of the Elon community, but some university classes were also present for parts of the conference.
“I’m not an expert when it comes to sustainability, but the presenters all did a really good job of providing visual examples to show what they were doing with these new systems,” Howell said.
“Our class has been investigating alternative living situations as far as infrastructure, transportation, housing, and, as the conference has shown, water use,” she said.
The Humans and Nature class is exploring options to develop a sustainable village at Elon based off projects others are doing around the country, which is why the students said they believed the conference provided good insight.
Ken Vogt from Cape Fear Public Utilities spoke about factors encouraging and discouraging public utility involvement in reuse. Alan Rimer, another specialist, spoke about micro constituents in relation to reuse in Toronto. Tom Flood, Elon director of landscape and grounds, promoted Elon’s storm water irrigation system.
Flood informed the attendees that 72 of the university’s acres, 12 percent of on Elon’s campus, are irrigated. Some newer areas of campus used to be parking lots, power plants, neighborhoods or streets, and are difficult to irrigate because of clay subsoils. But the historic parts of campus have rich topsoil, according to Flood.
“You don’t need irrigation when you have soil,” Flood said. “If you want to do anything to improve or reduce the amount of irrigation you use, put some decent soil down and prepare the soil properly.”
Lake Mary Nell also functions to recycle water. Elon’s water supply mainly filters out of the lake. Systems pump 400 gallons per minute out of the lake.
“When I get student calls saying they want to put rain barrels outside of the library and residence halls, I say I have one big rain barrel,” Flood said. “It’s Lake Mary Nell.”
Elon also has a weather station that senses rain.
When it rains in the middle of the night when irrigation was previously scheduled, the system will automatically shut off.
Elon also uses wireless field controllers that are based at the center of campus. This addition allows Flood and other irrigation technicians the ability to control irrigation wherever and whenever.
Many of the aspects of the conference sparked Howell’s interest, and he said he thinks it’s crucial that people take the time to learn about water conservation.