The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/drought/)
Last month, the water supply in Six Mile Creek was at a third of its average flow rate: an alarming five cubic feet per second as opposed to its standard rate of 15 cubic feet per second. The low flow rate prompted Cornell and the City of Ithaca to issue a Level 1: Limited Water Use Advisory to encourage more water conservation on Sept. 22. The advisory was lifted on Oct. 21.
A prolonged period without rain has prompted a moderate drought.
Steady rainfall over a period of weeks and months, in addition to snowfall, will most help to dispel the drought, Wysocki said.
The biggest water consumers on campus are the Central Energy Plant, the Cornell Heights assisted living facility and the Wilson Synchrotron Laboratory — home to the particle physics accelerator, during its operational hours — according to Chris Bordlemay, Cornell’s water and wastewater manager.
School officials have recommended that people all over campus campus must continue to consider how they can limit their water usage.
“When washing glassware in the sink, we are asking everyone to check that the faucet is outfitted with an aerator and [to] only use high purity water when absolutely necessary,” he said. “All of these lab conservation steps can make a big difference in saving water overall.”
“Our sink water turned brown at one point,” said Colby Triolo ’19, who lived in Ithaca this summer. “[However], what I thought was the craziest was that Buttermilk Falls were completely dried up.”
At current water consumption rates, Ithaca could drain its reservoir within the next 30 days, if there is not significant rainfall or a significant reduction in consumption, according to a City of Ithaca press release.