Where is our rain?  Are you starting to be worried about the next twelve months as I am?  There are things you can do to help to save water, and the most important is to be WATER OBSERVANT.  If you see leaky faucets or outside spigots dripping, call the Duty Operator at (72)3-2281 to get them repaired.  Is the front lawn of your building or other areas where you walk soggy and wet?  Call 3-2281 to have the Irrigation Shop come and check for leaks.  If you see run off into the street from lawns, call it in!  Each small item can add up and we all can help to save this scarce resource.

We have had some of the residential homes ask how they can reduce water use.  We tell them that usually, the most water use is watering their lawn.   If they consider lawn area reduction, this can save water as grass needs constant moisture to grow.  Lou Henry Hoover House is once again working with LBRE to reduce their water use by removing lawn areas to plant more drought tolerant vegetation and to add mulch.  Even though the lawn is used for many events, areas can be reduced without impact to the program.  Meyer Buck House will also reduce lawn area this year.

Even if it starts to rain as soon as you get this, remember that this is the driest year in over 25 years.  We need to save our water, both at Stanford, and at home. To learn more about ways to conserve please visit:  http://lbre.stanford.edu/sem/Water_Efficiency .

Kathleen Baldwin (KB)

Editor