A Message to the Duke Community from President Brodhead
Brodhead encourages water conservation steps at work and home
Monday, November 12, 2007
Durham, NC -- To the Duke University Community:
As you know, Durham County is suffering from the worst drought in recorded history. This regional problem did not happen overnight, nor will it disappear with a few rain showers in the coming months. Duke is the largest water consumer in the county, and we need to make changes in our operations and daily routines to conserve water now and in the foreseeable future.
At Duke, we are now working to reduce water consumption by 30 percent or more, in compliance with the city’s Stage III restrictions. This task is made even more challenging considering nearly half of our total water consumption is in our medical facilities, where we cannot compromise the quality of care or safety. Duke is taking significant steps to manage the drought. We have appointed a team of people led by Kemel Dawkins, vice president of Campus Services, to manage our water conservation efforts. This water management team meets weekly to coordinate efforts across Duke, develop plans and enact changes to safely reduce our water consumption.
Before the drought established a firm grip on our region, Duke was already working to conserve. Between fiscal year 2006 and 2007, we reduced our overall water consumption by 30 million gallons, making sustainability of water and other resources a high priority in our campus buildings and operations. But now more is needed, and you can help.
A new website - http://www.duke.edu/sustainability/water - provides a central place for news, conservation tips and information about the tangible steps Duke is taking to reduce water use during the current drought and as part of our larger sustainability efforts. Equally important, the site offers you a way to contribute to this effort. In addition to reducing your own water use, I ask you to think creatively about how we can conserve more across Duke and submit suggestions through the site. The water management team will review these tips and suggestions weekly and make recommendations to consider new ideas.
We speak often at Duke about our desire to apply knowledge in service to society and to engage social challenges that lie beyond our campus. The current situation poses just such a challenge, and therefore is a time when people will look to Duke for leadership and ideas. I am confident we all can work together not only to conserve water during the weeks and months ahead but also to identify better approaches for water management in the future.
Thank you for your support of this important effort.
Sincerely,
