UConn students must do their part as water conservation continues to be a problem for Connecticut. (File photo/The Daily Campus)
UConn is considering issuing a voluntary conservation notice across the Storrs campus to help drought conditions, according to reporting done by the Daily Campus. This discussion comes in the wake of drought conditions lessening across the state.
Drought conditions in Connecticut have decreased because of large participation in conservation efforts across the state. Under normal conditions this would be news to “relax” concerns about conservation of water, however, UConn has reasons to consider the notice.
UConn draws its water from the Fenton River. In September of 2005, parts of the Fenton River ran dry according to the University’s Office of Environmental Policy. Since that incident, UConn has adopted a threshold in which they will stop drawing water from the river if certain conditions are met. As of right now, UConn has made the decision to stop pumping water from the Fenton River. While the conservation notice is not a cause for alarm, it is a reminder that UConn needs to cut back.
In a time where environmental resources appear especially finite, the University must do all that it can to be conservation-minded. Considering issuing a voluntary conservation notice is a valiant first step, but it will only carry weight if students help to conserve water.
Students living on campus should be familiar with the “Stop the Drop!” campaign. According to Reslife, there are many ways to participative in the campaign and help UConn conserve water. The best thing students can do is to take shorter showers and report leaky faucets to be fixed.
As members of the UConn community, it is imperative that students do everything in their power to be conservation minded and help conserve water.
