Despite widespread rumors of school cancellation, it appears University students will not receive an unexpectedvacation anytime soon.
University officials yesterday dispelled rumors that the University is considering sending students home because of drought conditions in the Charlottesville area, while at the same time warning that harsher water restrictions may be coming for students who live on Grounds.
University Vice President and Provost Gene Block sent an e-mail to all faculty, staff and students yesterday saying that rumors that the University would close Nov. 30 were untrue.
"Students should not allow themselves to be distracted from their academic work as the result of this misinformation," Block wrote.
University Director of Utilities Cheryl Gomez said she had received e-mails from students inquiring about the rumors, but that she had not heard of any discussions of closing the University.
Even though the University's water usage declined by 7 percent in the week ending last Thursday, the University will have to implement more severe measures to conserve water, Gomez said.
Charlottesville has mandated that the University, along with all other businesses, reduce its water consumption by 20 percent.
"I have some pretty draconian steps," Gomez said at a press conference held Friday at University Hall.
For instance, University officials are considering implementing "rolling brown-outs," cutting off water supply to buildings around Grounds for part of each day, she said.
Some professors have cancelled research projects to save water, Gomez said Friday.
If the current level of consumption holds and the area sees no rain, the water supply will be exhausted in 88 days, Charlottesville Public Utilities Manager Jim Palmborg said.
All of central Virginia faces an "extreme drought," but Charlottesville is in one of the worst areas, Palmborg said.
With rain level below average for the last three years, the area faces the worst drought since the 1930s.
Moreover, the drought situation may get worse before it gets better, Gomez said.
"If we don't get rain this winter -- if we think this summer is bad, it will be worse next year," she said.
The University has implemented a number of measures to cut water consumption since August, including halting all irrigation, adjusting thermostats and installing water-conserving showerheads and faucets. The latter two projects have taken a bite out of the University's deferred maintenance budget, which recently was cut by 77 percent, Gomez said.
But even more costly is the 50 percent rate hike on the University's water service that Charlottesville enacted. That will cost the University an additional $500,000, Gomez said.
Students living off-Grounds also will see increased water rates. On Sep. 16, City Council passed a 50 percent increase on all usage above 4,800 gallons per residence, per billing cycle.
"We figured out that [the figure] was based on an average household of four people," said fourth-year College student Adam Austin, who lives in a house with 15 students. "There's no way we're going to avoid the penalty."
Students said they were taking measures to save water.
First-year College student Catherine More said she was taking short showers, buying bottled water, keeping a pitcher of water in the refrigerator and turning off the sink when brushing her teeth.
"We've talked a lot about it," Austin said. "Mostly what we've decided is to take short showers."
A University Web site, www.virginia.edu/drought, lists ways to save water. The Charlottesville city Web site, www.charlottesville.org, also includes water-saving tips.
Gomez suggested flushing the toilet only when necessary, quoting a rhyme borrowed from water-conservation advocates in California.
"If it's yellow, let it mellow," she said. "If it's brown, flush it down"
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