André de Brouwer, contract manager for the campus grounds, is concerned about the prolonged drought. His biggest worry, however, is the return of students after the summer holiday.
‘Especially when the Kick-In gets underway’, says De Brouwer. ‘With all the fun and mischief that comes with it, it is important that students are aware of the drought.
‘Something as simple as setting off a firework for fun or lighting a barbecue can already cause problems. The bonfires that are sometimes lit in fire pits, or setting household furniture such as sofas alight outside campus residences, also pose a major risk. We have had to deal with that on several occasions in the past. Under these dry conditions, even a small fire can spread quickly. If a firework lands in a dry field, it can cause extensive damage and significant costs. Everyone needs to be aware of that.’
Meeting with the Kick-In committee
For that reason, De Brouwer will meet with the Kick-In committee and campus security next week.
‘We want to discuss these risks in advance. The programme also includes activities and games that could damage, for example, the sports pitches and lawns. Of course, we do not want to cancel activities, but we do need to deal with the situation sensibly and decide where our priorities lie.’
Extra attention for greenery and fire safety
In the meantime, greenery across campus is being watered where necessary. ‘We are irrigating the sports pitches, trees, and planting areas. We have underground water storage facilities that we are now using, allowing us to minimise the use of mains water. So we are being very careful with our water consumption’, says the contract manager.
Although irrigation takes place every day, not every tree or plant is watered daily. According to De Brouwer, this happens no more than twice a week, depending on need. ‘Naturally, the park and lawns are turning yellow, but they will recover once there is sufficient rainfall again. In the meantime, we continue to monitor the fire risk closely.’
Krinkels, the company responsible for maintaining the campus greenery, is also monitoring the situation closely. Staff continuously keep an eye on the campus flora and fauna and assess where additional watering is needed. ‘For some trees, sensors indicate when the soil becomes too dry and extra irrigation is required. It certainly means extra work, but for now we have the situation under control’, De Brouwer concludes.
