The Michigan Daily-Friday, May 15, 1981-Page 3 CAUSE OF CONTAMINATION STILL UNCLEAR Health Service's water 'safe' By LOU FINTOR Contamination warnings were removed from drinking fountains at University Health Services Wednesday, and Health Service officials have assured that the water is perfectly safe, but the cause of this week's contamination remains unclear. The contamination warnings were posted Tuesday on the Service's second floor after staff and students reported "grossly discolored water." Health Service employees said they were informed Wednesday that the water had become contaminated as the result of a "backed-up toilet" on the building's second floor and that repair work was underway to remedy the problem. AN EMPLOYEE AT THE CITY'S waste treatment facility confirmed that the water was discolored by "cross-contamination" resulting from waste water mixing with the drinking water supply at Health Ser- vice. Health Service Administrative Manager Dana Mills, denied, however, that the Service's water sup- ply had been contaminated by sewage lines. Instead, Mills said the contamination resulted from "rusty pipes," and that there was no serious health hazard posed by the problem. Mills said he "sent a communique over the telephone" to all Health Service department heads yesterday notifying them to tell personnel that the situation was not a health hazard and is under control. HEALTH SERVICE SOURCES, however, say that no such communique was sent and that there is a serious question as to the safety of water supplies. According to the sources, maintenance men repairing the toilet said that cross-contamination oc- cured, spilling waste water into the drinking water supply. Mills, however, states that tests of the water showed "no bacterial contamination, other than iron bacteria," which was due to an "old plumbing system." "BEING A HEALTH CARE institution we tend to overreact in precautionary measures," Mills said. "If we thought we had a massive health problem we would have shut down the system," Mills said. Dr. Caesar Briefer, the director of Health Service, however, previously stated that only preliminary results were in as of Tuesday, and that those results showed "no free chlorine" present in the water, which would indicate "organic contamination." Regardless of the sources of contamination, health service personnel remain, as one employee put it, "unwilling to take a chance" and drink the water, even though contamination notices were torn down Wednesday. Budget cuts threaten local Arts community By LOU FINTOR ministration will mark an end to the Projected congressional approval of "era of enrichments," that began after the Reagan administration's proposed World War II, he said. cuts in federal funding for the arts has The change of administrations in members of the local arts community Washington, and the subsequent worried, change in philosophies concerning If Congress agrees to the cutbacks federal arts subsidies, has affected President Reagan has asked for, some several local arts and theater groups local artists and officials say the future more directly. of the arts both in Ann Arbor and at the "THE ART Association has already University could be in jeopardy. heen affected hy the conservative mood REAGAN'S PROPOSED cuts would on Capitol Hill, we lost two CETA em- hit the arts and humanities with a 50 ployees, and that has seriously affected percent reduction in National En- the amount of administrative tasks that dowment for the Arts grants, a 25 per- get done," said Marsha Chamberlin, cent cut in grants to National Public executive director of the Ann Arbor Art Radio, and the elimination of bulk- Association, "and that carries a ripple mailing credits for non-profit effect through the whole organization." organizations. Chamberlin said that in the short- Walter Eysselinck, chairman of the term, the Art Association would feel the University's Theatre Department, said elimination of bulk mailing credits the Reagan cuts would not directly af- most deeply. fect the University in a monetary, She said that any more reductions in short-term sense, but rather would federal funding most likely would lead generate a ripple effect that could un- to cuts in staff, fewer hours, and, even- dermine alternatiye forms of ex- tually, possible extinction. pression and the interest and exposure BILL SHARP, producer of the Can- of young people to the arts. terbury Loft, a small, alternative The arts are "bh right entitled to a theatre group in Ann Arbor said, "The subsidy, because they are a public ser- plan of gradual development of our vice," Eysselinck said. organization relies on the availability of EYSSELINCK points to the inability federal support to the arts." of the University's annual Yeats He said that while now the "Loft" is Festival to obtain a federal grant this sufficiently subsidized by the Episcopal year as a prime example of how the Church, community and government Reagan administration has affected the sponsorship is essential to the growth University. See LOCAL, Page 9 The conservative Reagan ad-SeLOAPg9 BILL SHARP, PRODUCER of the Canterbury Loft, contemplates the future of theatre groups such as those at the "Loft" without federal support. 'U' gifts may reach record amount By MARK GINDIN Private donations to the University should reach a record high this year if the current pace can be maintained for the next two months, according to Wendell Lyons, director of the University Development Office, which handles gifts to the University. "If the levels during May and June hold up" and there is a "substantial gift down the road," donations to the University may total $39 million this year ($980-81), which would be a record amount, Lyons said. PRIVATE GIFTS TO THE University totaled $33.6 million during the 79-80 fiscal year, while the previous year presently holds the record with $37.6 million, according to Lyons. The record 78-79 figure, however, includes a "once in a lifetime" gift of $6 million from the Mott Foundation, Lyon said. So, if the Mott gift is not included, the 78-79 year totaled $31.6 million, which is less than the 78-79 amount, he ex- plained. A SURVEY RELEASED BY the Council for Financial Aid to Education reports that gifts to the nation's colleges and universities rreaehed a record =$3.8 billion in the 79-80 academic year, which is an 18 percent increase over the previous year. The 79-80 fiscal year at the University was highlighted by several records set by private gift-giving, according to Har- vey Jacobson, assistant vice president for University Relations and Development. Corporate gifts increased by $1.2 million, and the number of individual donors increased from 57,133 to 62,718, while they gave $700,000 more than last year, Jacobson said. CORPORATIONS MADE UP 41 percent of all private gifts, foundations made up 22 percent, and individuals comprised 19 percent, said Jacobson. Lyons said alumni are giving more to the University in response to the diminishing support from the state. Alumni are scattered over the entire country, so the economic recession in Michigan is not felt by all donors, said Lyons. Much corporate support also comes from outside the state, according to Lyon. At least 95 percent of the corporate donations are earmarked for specific programs, mostly to programs theorporation has a vested interest in, he added.