Dead grass, scorching heat, dry, dusty air – this has been the surrounding landscape for nearly a month.

The recent drought has accounted for more water usage on campus, according to Kevin Hurley, service manager for landscaping.

“(We) water a whole lot more,” Hurley said. “As long as we keep up with our watering, it (is) very well maintained.”

Milligan is using more water than in the previous year. During July 2006, the campus used 1,086,100 gallons of water. In July 2007, the total amount of water rose to 1,140,300 gallons, an increase of 54,200 gallons.

This increase cost about $2,500, according to Joe Whittaker, vice president of financial services. Whittaker said this increase alone will not affect student costs.

The office of the Elizabethton City of Water and Sewer Services Billing Department, which serves Milligan College, stated that, “We are just asking people to conserve.”

In addition, the Johnson City Water Billing Department reported that there has been “no significant increase” in the rates of water usage in the Johnson City area. So despite the increased usage for Milligan College, severe actions to conserve water, such as bans, are not going to take effect at the present time.