Facilities officials report the University is ready to do its part to help conserve water under the new restrictions the Raleigh City Council is implementing today and say they are confident a lack of water will not cause too much damage to campus greenery.

University Irrigation Manager David Townsend said although the regulations are quite stringent, the University can make up for the water lost by using alternative sources.

“Under Stage One regulations, you are only allowed to water one day a week,” Townsend said. “Most of the water we use for plants is pulled out of Lake Raleigh, so this won’t affect us greatly.”

He said some grassy areas on campus may be affected if water is cut even more, but this is a sacrifice the University must be willing to make so water can be saved for more important uses.

“The cool season grasses require a considerable amount of water and might brown up or go dormant with serious regulations,” Townsend said. “We would rather have that water for cooking, drinking and bathing though.”

According to Townsend, there is a lot that can be done to help protect plants in the case of a drought, including regulating water beforehand to force the plants to grow deeper and stronger roots.

“It’s a lot of science, a lot for practice and a lot of hoping for the best,” Townsend said.

Justin Buckland, a junior in chemistry, said he feels both University officials and students have contributed to the rise in water use that has forced the Raleigh City Council to pass these regulations.

“Students waste water by taking excessively long showers, and the University wastes water by leaving utilities such as sprinklers running when the area being watered is completely saturated,” Buckland said.

Townsend admitted the University consumes a great deal of water, but said officials are continually implementing programs to conserve the resource, and there is a great deal students can do to contribute.

“There are many things they can do,” Townsend said. “When you brush your teeth, don’t leave the water running, shorten your shower a little and make sure you have a full load when you are doing your laundry.”

Arvic Macapagal, a junior in mechanical and aerospace engineering, said regulating student use in the dorms and on campus is a good idea, but implementing regulations would be unrealistic.

“Ideally, [the University] should impose more regulations, but I think they have probably done all they can,” Macapagal said. “They put up all those flyers and stickers on saving energy and water, and the only possible next step would be giving residents a limit on usage, but it’s ridiculous.”

Townsend said if the University works with the students, and everyone comes to a conscientious agreement to conserve water, then the campus can work through the new restrictions with fewer problems. “N.C. State is like a city within a city, and we use a lot of water here, but there are also a lot of ways we can save water,” Townsend said.