12
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007
Toilets scale back water use
BY MAX ROSE
STAFF WRITER
When faced with the possibility
of raising monthly dues at Cedar
Court Condos because of an annu
al $27,000 water bill, Property
Manager Ann Avlward and the hom
eowners’ association took a more
environmentally friendly approach.
The members voted to put in
efficient washing machines, make
it mandatory to fix all leaks and
to install low-water-use toilets
and low-flow shower heads in all
50 units. The replacements and
repairs cost a total of $14,300 to
the condominium owners.
In July 2006, the condominiums
used 247,000 gallons of water. This
July the complex used 107,000 gal
lons, and the monthly bill decreased
by $1,300, Aylward said.
“Everyone is just glad we did it,”
she said.
The residents hired plumbers
to replace the 5-gallons-per-flush
toilets with modem 1.6-gallon-per
flush units.
About 25 percent of residential
w ater use is through toilets, said
Greg Feller, public affairs adminis
trator for Orange Water and Sewer
Authority.
The installation and material
costs associated with anew low
water-use toilet are about S3OO.
OWASA sessions teach conservation
Workshops to address lawn care tips
BY DEVIN ROONEY
STAFF WRITER
Prolonged droughts mean many
homeowners are looking for ways
to reduce water usage.
Area residents can learn more
about sustainable lawn care
techniques at three workshops
sponsored by Orange Water and
Sewer Authority on Tuesday and
Wednesday.
The workshops will address
reducing water, fertilizer and pesti
cide use by using more effective lawn
care techniques, said Mark Danieley,
a horticulture extension agent at the
N.C. Cooperative Extension.
Danieley, who is leading the
workshops, said he will attempt to
debunk many of the myths about
soil preparation, seeding techniques
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A four-person family replacing
two 5-gallon toilets and flushing at
the average rate of 4.2 times per per
son per day would recoup the costs in
less than four years. The current cost
of water in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
is $7-65 per 1,000 gallons.
“There’s a significant opportu
nity for savings,” Feller said.
Aylward said it is important that
other old facilities hear about the
savings they have accomplished.
“When we found out how much
of a difference we could make, we
wanted to get the word to other
people,” Aylward said.
But a large portion of the com
munity already has switched to the
more efficient toilets, which have
been required by federal law for all
replacements since 1994.
Mike Orsini, production manager
at the Raleigh location of the plumb
ing company Roto-Rooter, said that
about 90 percent of the toilets they
work on use 1.6 gallons per flush.
“It’s pretty rare that we find a
toilet that is not 1.6 nowadays,” he
said.
Carrboro Alderman Jacquelyn
Gist said that more efficient appli
ances are important for conserva
tion, especially after such a hot and
dry August.
“Water is a finite resource, and
we have to really manage our water
and watering strategies. Classes are
free, but participants must register
by calling 245-2050.
“Most people get their informa
tion from commercials on televi
sion or radio, and some of that
information is not very good,”
Danieley said. “We're trying to give
them unbiased, research-based
information to help them make
intelligent decisions about how to
manage their landscaping.”
Danieley said it is not necessary
to water lawns three times each
week. Once every two weeks for
established lawns will keep grass
green, he said.
OWASA Sustainability
Coordinator Paula Thomas said
misconceptions about lawn care are
problematic in times of drought.
DTH/ARMANDO AITAMIRANO
Cedar Court just installed new low-flow toilets that use 1.6 gallons of
water instead of 5 gallons. Cedar Court residents support the idea.
now,” she said. “The community is
growing.”
OWASA declared a Water Supply
Advisory on Aug. 23 that alerts cus
tomers that additional restrictions
might become necessary.
Feller said that although OWASAs
supply is unlikely to run out in the
upcoming months, a dry winter
could cause problems in 2008.
He said conservation is impor
“The fact that we’re in a sus
tained and dramatic drought is
also going to be a focus of this
workshop,” Thomas said.
Orange County is listed as having
a severe drought. The drought has
highlighted a need to decrease water
usage, said Mark Marcoplos, owner
of Marcoplos Construction and for
mer OWASA Board of Directors
member from 1999 to 2006.
Marcoplos said as early as 2001
and 2002, when severe droughts
occurred, many of his customers
expressed interest in water-saving
measures.
The success of an OWASA-spon
sored workshop about sustainable
landscaping last year attended
by more than 100 homeowners
encouraged Thomas to schedule
more sessions this fall and winter.
The OWASA series includes a
workshop on building rain barrels,
News
tant to prevent the need to use new
water sources in the future.
“The community has the oppor
tunity looking into future decades
to reduce long-term cost,” Feller
said.
“It’s always a good time to con
serve water.”
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
a second workshop on sustainable
landscaping and a workshop on
auditing homes for plumbing prob
lems, in addition to next week’s
sustainable lawn care workshops.
Being smart with lawns and water
is something that concerns Carrboro
Alderman Jacquelyn Gist, who often
says, “Grass makes us stupid.”
She said that reducing the amount
of grass will reduce the area’s water
needs.
Gist said that she recognizes the
importance of conservation educa
tion because many people pollute
and damage the watershed unin
tentionally.
“It’s not like there’s a bunch of
evil people running around saying
‘Let’s screw up our water supply,’”
Gist said.
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
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Performance
will showcase
baroque music
18th century is
focus of concert
BY BENNETT CAMPBELL
ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR
A quick glance at a list of nota
ble baroque composers reads like
a who’s who of famous classical
musicians.
Bach, Handel and Vivaldi all
have created baroque pieces, which
are defined by rich, heavy orna
mentation.
But even though many Chapel
Hill residents will recognize those
names, the post-Renaissance
genre’s characteristics might not
be the most accessible.
UNC’s Department of Music
will give students and residents a
chance to familiarize themselves
with the genre in “Celebrating
the Baroque: Arias for Voice and
Brass” at Franklin Street’s Chapel
of the Cross tonight.
“Most of the music in the concert
is from the later baroque music of the
early 18th century, which was expres
sive and often energetic, but also rich
with counterpoint and complexity,”
said Brent Wissick, a professor of
music at UNC who will be playing
the cello in the performance.
Wylie Quinn, the regular organ
ist at Chapel of the Cross, further
described the genre, which began
around 1600 and continued through
the middle of the 18th century.
“It usually has a pretty driv
ing rhythm. Sometimes it strikes
people as almost mechanical.”
And tonight the department
will give the music another famil
iar face. Susan Moeser, wife of
Chancellor James Moeser, will play
the organ in the performance.
“I’ve played a great deal on the
organ,” Susan Moeser said. “In
terms of music, (baroque) is prob
ably the most satisfying on an intel
lectual level.”
Susan Moeser said that Bach is
one of her inspirations and a reason
why she appreciates baroque music.
“It’s remarkable how he composed
individual lines that all fit together,”
ulli? lath; alar Hrel
“In terms of music,
(baroque) is
probably the most
satisfying on an
intellectual level”
SUSAN MOESER, ORGANIST
ATTEND THE CONCERT
Time: 7:30 p.m. today
Location: Chapel of the Cross,
Franklin Street
Info: http://music.unc.edu
she said, praising the polyphonic tex
ture she said the style involves.
The performance also incorpo
rates vocals.
Jeanne Fischer, a voice lecturer
in the music department, will be
singing the soprano line. She will
be joined by fellow voice lecturer
Valentin Lanzrein, who will be
singing bass.
Fischer described what baroque
music demands of vocalists.
“Baroque tends to have a lot
of melismata, which means fast
notes, essentially,” she said. “And
the singer is expected to bring their
own ornamentation to the piece. It
involves embellishing the piece.”
Moeser said that the vocals,
especially in a selection by the
renowned baroque composer
Domenico Scarlatti, work beauti
fully with the instrumentation.
“There is a wonderful section
where the trumpet and soprano
interplay,” she said.
And because it is necessary for a
close listener to discern the subtle
ties of the vocals in the piece, Chapel
of the Cross is a prime location.
Quinn said UNC uses the church
primarily for its acoustics and its
organ.
“UNC doesn’t have many good
organs,” Quinn said, “And there’s
great acoustics and space here. It’s
not too reverberant.”
Contact the Arts Editor
at artsdesk@uhc.edu.