University disregards area restrictions on water

The university is facing criticism from students and public works officials for violating mandatory water restrictions and not notifying on-campus residents of the need to conserve.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission ordered all its customers throughout Prince George's and Montgomery counties — including the university — to minimize water consumption between last Thursday and early Tuesday as it made emergency repairs to its largest water main.

To maintain enough water pressure for firefighters and to prevent a contamination risk, WSSC told customers to halt all outdoor water usage and minimize consumption while washing clothes and dishes, bathing and even flushing toilets. Anyone caught watering plants or washing cars risked a $500 fine.

But the university didn't even hear about restrictions until noon Friday, according to William Monan, assistant director of landscape services. Even then it only reduced its watering instead of halting it altogether as WSSC required, Monan said, and the university said nothing to most students until more than nine hours after the five-day restriction period had ended.

Facilities Management shut off the university's 45 sprinkler systems as soon as officials learned of the WSSC requirements, Monan said, but officials chose "special sites" to keep watering by hand or with "gator bags" — water-filled sacks that slowly release their contents around trees — throughout the restriction period to keep them alive.

"We have over 30,000 flowers and trees," Monan said. "We can't go three full days without watering them."

WSSC spokesman John White said the university's actions were still unacceptable because all customers were asked to make similar sacrifices.

"We asked everyone not to do it," White said.

WSSC issued 356 warnings and four $500 citations for repeat offenses during the restriction period, White added, but the university was not fined for its watering because WSSC was not aware of its actions. Widespread disobedience of the restrictions caused usage to drop by just 14 percent, well short of the commission's 33 percent goal.

Some students — like Colleen MacInnes, a junior English major who lives at the University View — thought the university should have followed the restrictions, too.

"They should make a point about it and be a role model for students," MacInnes said.

Although the water restrictions were mandatory, customers who did not sign up to receive news from WSSC via e-mail or text message would have needed to learn about them through media reports, White said.

Many students — including Evan Schneider, a Jewish studies major who lives in South Campus Commons Building 5 — said they didn't cut their water use because no one informed them they were supposed to.

"I'm surprised to hear there's a water shortage," Schneider said Monday as he finished a fourth load of laundry. "The university should have informed us."

Officials at the Department of Resident Life, responsible for the few students currently staying in dorms, said their employees took steps to conserve water but that they could have also sent out a notification.

"There are under 200 people in the residence hall program," said Chris Moore, the department's administrative services director. "But it's a lesson learned in that every bit helps even without a campus-wide announcement, even if it's just in Resident Life."

Officials in Commons — where many students live for the summer — said they could not explain why no one had sent an e-mail to their residents. Commons management sent out a separate e-mail Wednesday afternoon asking students to conserve electricity.

University officials said the responsibility of notifying students fell to Facilities Management energy manager Joan Kowal, who first sent out an e-mail Tuesday evening.

"While WSSC has lifted the water restrictions effective at 8 a.m. this morning," the e-mail stated.

The only earlier notification came the day before through a subscription-only listserv when Kowal sent a message to "FYI Events" subscribers Monday.Kowal declined to comment on the notification process.

vafai at umdbk dot com