In Florida, water is being taken out of the aquifers faster than it can be replenished.
But Matthew Williams, director of the UF Office of Sustainability and Energy Integration, said he hopes Water Conservation Month will teach people how to use water more efficiently.
“We are so dependent upon having that water there when we want it,” Williams said.
People need to recognize there is much that goes on behind locating and purifying water, he said. In years past, Williams had rainwater barrels that harvest the rainwater off the roof to conserve water. He would then use the barrels to irrigate his backyard when needed.
For Water Conservation Month in Florida, Williams and the Office of Sustainability will be holding a water awareness day April 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Reitz Union North Lawn. There will be displays that demonstrate how much water a person uses on a daily basis, as well as what UF is doing to conserve water. Williams encourages students to report water leaks around campus.
“You can use up to 4,000 gallons of water sometimes from a leaky flush valve on a toilet on campus,” he said. “That is more than I use during a month at home, and it happens in a one- to two-day period.”
Jeremy Toms, a 22-year-old UF environmental engineering graduate student, said he believes every student should be passionate about conserving water. Toms works at the Sustainability Hut on UF’s campus to push for water conservation.
“I think every month is Water Conservation Month,” he said. “I think everyone should be passionate about water conservation.”
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 3/31/2015 under the headline “UF sustainability to recognize Water Conservation Month”]
