Students unhappy about sprinkler water waste on West

Rain is not the only reason walkways on West Campus have been wet lately.

This year, students have complained that sprinklers on Few and Chapel Quadrangles appear to be more active, leading to runoff that sometimes floods the sidewalks. Although Director of Landscape Services Bryan Hooks reported that Facilities Management has many initiatives related to conservation, some students remain irritated by the sprinklers’ apparent wastefulness, taking to social media sites such as the anonymous app Yik Yak to express their disapproval.

“They tend to spray everywhere except for on the grass,” freshman Natalia Gonzalez-Boneta said. “I’ve also seen them on when it’s raining.”

The sprinklers can sometimes be more than a minor inconvenience, as the water has directly sprayed some students.

“I’ve seen people sitting on the benches get completely soaked while the majority of the grass remains dry,” sophomore Salena Huang said. “It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Hooks did not say whether the system will be changing, noting that he has not received a work order request to adjust sprinkler heads.

“Minor overspray onto sidewalks is intentional to compensate for the wind. This is done industrywide to make sure the grass panel receives an even coverage,” Hooks wrote in an email.

According to Sarah Burdick, director of administration and special projects in Facilities Management, the irrigation system—which is responsible for the sprinklers—consumes only 2 percent of Duke’s water. Chilled water plants use the most water at 32 percent, followed by the hospital at 19 percent and academic buildings at 16 percent.

Hooks noted that there are a number of ongoing water conservation projects at Duke, such as the water reclamation pond, which opened in May, and the water conservation plan developed following a drought in 2007. Last year, Duke used 440 million gallons of water, down 31.9 percent from the 614 million gallons used in 2007 despite the fact that campus has expanded by 1.78 million square feet, she added.

The sustainability signs initiative—which has been in place since 2010—encourages students to consider the impact that their everyday actions have on the environment. But some students believe the sustainability message is contradicted by the seemingly excessive sprinkler use.

“Our toilets and water fountains are meant to save water, but it seems that any little water we save is wasted again on the sprinklers,” freshman Phoebe Caplin said.

Senior Kelly Shen, co-president of Duke Environmental Alliance, said she does not believe the current irrigation system is as effective as it could be.

“We should always be looking for ways to foster a campus that is more mindful and more sustainable,” Shen wrote in an email. “Water conservation efforts aren’t all up to the University to implement—students make decisions in their everyday lives in regards to water conservation.”

Currently, the Academic Quadrangle and the Chapel Quadrangle are undergoing a landscape upgrade that will replace existing irrigation infrastructure, install new storm drains and re-grade the lawns. Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, noted that these improvements will be worth staying off the grass and avoiding sprays from the sprinklers.

“It’s great to see the Main Quad lawns lush and green,” Moneta wrote in an email. “They provide beauty, serenity and a lovely surface for students to gather and play.”

Samantha Neal contributed reporting.

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