After delays, reclamation pond to open May 2015

After a series of delays caused by "one of the wettest winters in history," the water reclamation pond is on track to open May 2015.

Construction of the pond located at the corner of Erwin Road and Towerview Drive—which was initially scheduled to be completed Spring 2014—experienced a delay in the planting schedule which began in mid-October rather than wrapping in Septemeber as planned, said Sarah Burdick, director of administration and special projects for Duke Facilities Management.

Now, construction of the pond, which will filter storm runoff from 22 percent of the main campus area and provide a standby reservoir during droughts, is running smoothly and on track to meet its new deadline.

"The dam is complete and so is the earthwork – that means that the digging and shaping of the pond’s rim is complete and the pond is starting to fill with water," Burdick said.

She added that construction is now focused on the site's amenities, including a bridge, gazebo and walking path.

Sustainability—both in terms of construction and the final product—has been a focus of the project.

Plans for the project began in 2008 after a drought in 2007 that was so severe that Durham had less than 60 days of water available. The University, Durham's largest consumer of water, hopes the pond will cut Duke's dependence on water from the city of Durham by 20 percent.

The pond's completion is expected to save the city of Durham approximately 100 million gallons of potable water per year. Some of the pond's water will also be pumped to a nearby chilled water plant—bringing the net water usage for heating and cooling on campus closer to zero.

Professors in the Nicholas School initially worried that fluctuating water tables in the pond would make it difficult to maintain wetland communities. However, Burdick said that the biology department helped to select plants that will thrive in or out of water. She added that a number of the plants have already been installed on the shore of the pond.

Burdick also noted that all wood used in the project was from trees removed to build the pond, and that the 1,880 trees planted will more than replace the 1,550 that were removed.

The project had a projected budget of approximately $9 million.

Correction: a previous version of this article stated that the pond would help bring air conditioning to East Campus in addition to being pumped to a heating and cooling plant. The Chronicle regrets the error.