Springfield colleges and universities come together to save water

Due to the severe drought affecting the Ozarks, the leaders of Springfield’s four major colleges and universities have made a commitment to reduce water usage as much as possible.

Chancellor Dr. Hal Higdon of Ozarks Technical Community College, and Presidents Todd Parnell of Drury, Clif Smart of Missouri State, and Dr. Robert H. Spence of Evangel released this joint statement.

“Recognizing that water is the most important natural resource and that an adequate supply of safe water is critical to each person, home and business in our region, we are reducing water consumption within our campus operations. As the fall semester begins, we will be encouraging our students to conserve water in university housing and are asking commuter students, faculty and staff members to be aware of the water they use and to cut back wherever possible. City Utilities has informed its customers that, barring major rainfall, it anticipates implementation of water restrictions this fall. We believe that our immediate, voluntary and proactive actions will help delay or lessen the impact and duration of those restrictions.”