Water is a precious resource

We often take clean water for granted in the US, relying on it for bathing, cooking, drinking, even in research here on campus.  This week the "Please Conserve Water" banner is at the main University entrance to help us all consider how precious this resource is.

About 18 months ago we received enough rain to end a three year drought in California ended.  At this moment almost a billion people around the world don't have clean water and in the US thousands are under drought conditions.

Take a moment to think about how you use water and what ways you can use less of this precious resource - then take a few simple actions to reduce what you use.

Here are some steps you can take to help reduce water use:

    * Look for details about "Take Back the Tap" that asks people to drink tap water over plastic bottled water
    * Turn the water off when brushing your teeth, shaving or soaping up in the shower.
    * In the Residence Halls, see if you can let one of the bathroom stalls "mellow".
    * Consider taking a local water journey up Highway 9 to Loch Lomond Reservoir
    * Most importantly, make sure you notify Housing Maintenance or Physical Plant if you notice a water leak or leaky faucet, so it
      can get fixed right away.

Do you have a question about water conservation or a good idea about how the University could save water?  Please contact Housing Conservation Services at silas@ucsc.edu.