» » News » Severe drought inspires solutions at City College

Severe drought inspires solutions at City College

October 12, 2009
by Matthew Gerring | Multimedia Editor

Engineers look at saving water, money

A third year of drought in California has led City College to create innovative, cost-efficient, water-saving solutions.

The drought, deemed “severe”, by the California Department of Water Resources, is causing water conservation efforts to step up locally, and around the state.

Engineers such as City College’s Director of Energy and Utilities Michael Goodrich are finding cheap and clever ways to save water, and drive down the college’s costs at the same time. According to Goodrich, the key is to find water-saving measures that “get the most bang for the buck”.

He said the biggest use of water at City College is keeping the athletic fields and landscape areas green.

There are plenty of possible solutions, with replacing the landscaping field with low-water plants and artificial turf being one idea under consideration. But replacing existing landscaping is also expensive.

To help conserve costs and water, engineers at City College found a way to keep the grass just as green while using less water, by putting in a pump to keep the water pressure constant. Goodrich said that the City College landscape workers do whatever they need to do to keep the lawn green. Sometimes, if the sprinklers don’t have enough water pressure, he said that may mean flooding the fields. With the improvements to the water system, they won’t have to do that anymore.

City College also plans to install a new system that will save additional water by monitoring the weather, and only turning the sprinklers on when they’re needed. If more water-saving measures are needed, Goodrich said his department will have to set priorities based on what funds are available.

“We will always have issues with water as long as there are people here,” said Biology Professor Steve James. However, James also looks at the bright side.

“I tell my students, if they can get good at water—whether it’s an attorney, a scientist, a businessperson, a hydrologist, a politician—if  you can become a water specialist, you’ll have a job.”