Saving water, one drop at a time

Students are just as clean and well-hydrated as they were a few weeks ago, but now they’re being smarter with their water resources, thanks to the annual Water Wars.

Each year, Denison sponsors the competition, which pits hall against hall, mano a mano, in reducing water consumption. This year’s winner, Gilpatrick House, trimmed water use by more than 10 percent, earning the grand prize of Whit’s frozen custard, a local favorite. Curtis West had the lowest daily water usage, an average of 21 gallons per student. Overall, students reduced their weekly water consumption by almost 2.5 gallons per person during the contest.

Denison’s Green Team and physical plant joined forces in coordinating the competition. In shortening the duration of this year’s contest, organizers saw increased urgency and commitment.

“This year’s shorter time-frame transformed the competition, making it even more relevant to students,” Green Team co-president Nicki Jimenez said. “Now that we’ve made those changes we can only keep on improving.”

Each residence hall took part in the contest, contributing to a savings of more than 10,000 gallons of water across campus.

For a look at more eco-friendly projects, check out Sustainability at Denison.