Way for SMU to save water and money

[smupony94]

You know there's a drought when it gets this bad

ATHENS, Ga. — Fans who had their fill of beer at the University of Georgia's homecoming football game on Saturday were warned — no flushing allowed.

Earlier this week, crews put up signs in bathrooms asking people not to flush "if it's yellow" and to leave the handle-pulling to attendants, who will do the job for the estimated 93,000 people at Saturday's game.

It's part of the university's "Every Drop Counts" water conservation effort in the drought that's struck Georgia and much of the Southeast.

The university is considering replacing all of the stadium's old toilets, which use 3.5 gallons of water per flush, with new ones that use less than half that amount — 1.6 gallons — per flush, said Arthur Johnson, associate athletic director for internal operations.

But two old-fashioned trough urinals that have constant running water will be open beneath the west end stands during the game against Troy University.

"We've got a lot of fans in that area that would need to use the restroom and it would be impractical to ask them to go to another part of the stadium," he said.

The drought has worsened with sweltering temperatures and a drier-than-normal hurricane season. Now drought in almost one-third of the Southeast has been deemed "exceptional" — the most severe drought category.