Letter: UNM should be careful with campus water use

Editor,

New Mexico recently had a record-breaking spring season for precipitation, so it is easy to think that water conservation is the last thing UNM should be worrying about. But take a look at the land you live on - it's a desert. Those green grassy fields and brilliantly colored flowers are not natural products of the harsh region of the Southwest. They are bought and paid for, just like the water you drink from your sink.

Water is a precious resource in our environment. Growing populations and ongoing droughts are squeezing our water resources dry, causing natural habitat degradation and impacting our everyday use of the liquid. We have no choice but to pay more attention to how we are using water, and how we may be wasting it. We must bridge the gap between our understanding of how important water is to our survival and what we can do to ensure that we have an adequate supply of clean water for years to come.

After living in Hokona Hall last year, I became acquainted with the sad reality that the UNM housing accommodations are a sponge, wasting millions of gallons of precious water every year. The sinks constantly leak, the toilets constantly run.

And now I live in an SRC for the summer, and again the water wasted astonishes me. Our kitchen sink drips melodically while the bathroom sink runs a continual stream of liquid, no matter how much force I exert into twisting the faucet into the off position. The worst part of all of this is that nothing is being done to fix these problems.

My roommates and I have turned in work orders, asked for assistance at the SRC front desk and even experimented a bit on our own to amend the problems. These attempts have been made in vain. Our SRC, along with much of the housing on campus, continues to waste gallons of water every day.

It may not seem like a lot when you look at small drops plopping onto the stainless steel, but in a 24-hour period, you would be amazed how much of the precious liquid builds up and becomes an addition to the sewer system.

This issue is like any other environmental concern. A few small but crucial actions taken can amend a growing problem. Not only can UNM save money, but our state can save clean water to support our ever-growing population.

Kristen Woodruff

UNM student