Features

Reader Report: No Water Shortage for UC

By Paul Glusman
Thursday June 12, 2008 - 10:42:00 AM

While most people are refraining from washing cars or watering lawns, taking shorter showers, and flushing only when they really need to, the UC Berkeley is pouring water down the drain like it was—well—2007. 

On Saturday, June 7, this reporter noticed a shower that was running hot water in the men’s locker room at UC Berkeley’s Golden Bear Rec Center. Attempts were made to turn the water off, but water would still pour out of the shower even when the handle was all the way off. The reporter notified the lifeguards at the pool, and was informed by them that numerous people had complained of this, and it had been going on for about a week. The lifeguards had notified maintenance. 

On Sunday, June 8, the shower was still running. The person at the front desk said that everyone knew of the situation, that maintenance was on notice and because of a lot of red tape it was difficult to get anything done. 

On Wednesday, June 11, it was still running. 

It appeared that the shower was running at a rate that would fill a gallon jug in about one to two minutes. If it took two minutes, that would be 30 gallons per hour, for 24 hours per day, or 720 gallons per day wasted. In a week, that would amount to 5,040 gallons. If the shower was running at one gallon per minute, that figure would be doubled. 

The water was hot, so the university is not only wasting water, it is wasting energy to heat that water then let it run off eventually into the bay.  

Apparently some of us are living under drought restrictions, others are not.