The average school in the United States uses about twenty three thousand gallons of water per day. However, according to David O’Connor, the plant manager at Aragon, the school uses far less because conserving water is a main priority due to the scarcity of water.
Aragon mainly uses water to irrigate fields and in bathrooms and showers. To use as little water as possible, irrigation is done at night or in early morning when there is the least amount of evaporation. Also, by monitoring the density of the soil, runoff to the gutters can be prevented.
The bathrooms at Aragon use the most water. “That’s why we have a high efficiency flush system on the toilets,” O’Connor says. “The flushing mechanisms on the toilet use less water every time it flushes. If we can develop a way of flushing without water, we will be immediately able to eliminate the amount of water used in that part of the restrooms.”
Another part of the restrooms that require water are the sinks. By using sensory based sink faucets that turn on and off automatically, water is only used when the peoples’ hands are under the faucet. O’Connor says, “This minimizes water usage because we do not have to worry about people leaving the faucet on and not using the water.”
Currently, all schools in the district are conserving water in ways similar to those of Aragon. O’Connor says, “I think the entire district is aware of the shortage of water and follows a policy of conserving it. Whatever we use, we use it efficiently.”
Sophomore Dina Zheng says, “I don’t think people take the seriousness of this to heart. Because the shortage hasn’t yet affected our daily lives to an extent where we are being limited, people just think that the government will do something about it. But as a community of people who are affected by water shortage, we should start doing something about it as well.”
Clubs at Aragon are also concerned about saving water. Senior Fabio Gallardo, president of Aragon’s Humanitarian Club, agrees that water conservation should be a main concern. He says, “We are certainly considering doing something related to the drought. People should care because, if we don’t, we are failing to invest in our environment and failing to find long-term solutions to our resource needs. This drought is not just about the trees and the wildlife. It is a serious issue that can continue to affect the lives of people living in the state for generations to come.”
“Everyone at Aragon can prevent wasting water on campus by doing the simplest things,” says freshman Kurt Luu. “If everyone in all the PE classes just limited their shower time [after swimming] by taking a short shower, we can end up saving a lot of water.”
Sophomore Weber Su adds, “All I have to do is turn on the sink, and [there’s] water. It’s scary to think that, one day, when we turn on our sinks, there may not be any water that comes out.”
