Complaints Trite In Face Of Water Crisis

It's nice living in the serene isolation of the campus bubble. The problems which plague the real world tend to lessen upon the sight of the blue and white University of Connecticut sign on Route 195. Not that it is intentional, but living on-campus shields students from developments off-campus, be it due to busy schedules, refocused priorities or just plain apathy. But one local issue has slowly crept into the sub-consciousness of the UConn community. Students living with air conditioning notice it. Students who eat at dining halls notice it. Students who overlook the Sherman Complex's wet turf are perhaps most familiar with the problem - northeastern Connecticut is quickly running out of water.

The problem is, while students have been informed of the shortage, as well as UConn's efforts to lessen its impact on it, no one seems to truly be aware of the gravity of the situation. Perhaps students are to blame for not paying enough attention to the community, or maybe it is UConn's fault for not frightening the student body into compliance with water conservation measures. The bottom line is everyone is scared but us.

In August, the local area received only about one inch of rain, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In order for the area to return to some air of normalcy, six more inches of rain are needed soon. The reservoir for the nearby town of Manchester is now below 80 percent capacity. Local rivers and streams are well below their average flow rates, water levels dropping so that caked mud is now visible on their banks. Farmers, our most water-dependent neighbors, are being forced to choose which crops will continue on toward harvest and which will become victims of the dry spell. They've turned to pumping water out of nearby rivers themselves in order to keep crops sustained.

Walking across campus yesterday, one could hear students complaining about the rain, as though wet hair and soggy jeans were the serious issues of the day. In the campus bubble, perhaps they were. But just down the road, the local farmers were breathing a sigh of relief. Their crops will survive for at least another day.

The water shortage is still not over. It is still not a good idea to turn on a faucet and leave the room. It is still not a good idea to wash only one pair of socks at a time. It is time, however, to stop complaining about paper plates at lunch and the wet walk to class. It's time to help the local farmers out and hope tomorrow brings a little more rain.