Campus water fountains will be upgraded because of bottled water ban
By Hannah Gray
The University's decision to discontinue the sale of bottled water on campus could mean a makeover of the water fountains.
With over 60 water fountains, the job to make the UP campus more environmentally friendly isn't simple.
"Our responsibility is to go around and see what fountains are adequate," said Faye Beeler, the assistant director of Physical Plant. "Most (drinking fountains) aren't capable of filling water bottles."
The new policy was announced suddenly on Jan. 26.
"We didn't have any advance notice. We knew it was coming, but we didn't know when," Thomas Blume, the director of Physical Plant, said about the announcement.
In reaction to the new policy, Physical Plant is assessing all the water fountains on campus to see whether they work properly and whether the water tastes good.
From there, Physical Plant will fix or add as needed, to accommodate a possible increased use for the water fountains.
Right now, the only water bottle filling stations on campus are in The Cove and The Commons.
Because Physical Plant is currently in phase one - the assessment of the water fountains around campus - it's not clear what happens next.
"We are doing a structured approach to make sure we do it right," Blume said.
Physical Plant is considering many options to make it easier to fill reusable water bottles.
One option is to retrofit the water fountains by adding a water bottle filling station in the back.
Beeler added that Physical Plant is looking at the possibility of adding "goose necks" onto the back of water fountains as one way to retrofit water fountains.
A second option is to add free-standing water dispensers instead of retrofitting the water fountains.
In addition to adding water bottle filling stations on campus, Physical Plant is looking at improving the taste of the water.
The water fountains in Buckley Center are a main focus because the water tastes bad, according to Beeler.
"Several work OK in Buckley, but some don't because of the iron in the pipes," said Bill Vandervelden, the mechanical crew foreman for Physical Plant. "Filters could be a big improvement for the taste of the water."
Students do notice the taste of the Buckley Center water and how it tastes in relation to other places on campus.
"The water tastes slightly metallically," said sophomore Lizze Mardesich about the Buckley Center water.
"I prefer the water in Corrado, but I'll drink the water in Buckley Center," Mardesich said.
However, Vandervelden added that Buckley Center is in need of piping replacement, which is a huge and costly project.
"It would a large-scale undertaking," Blume confirmed.
Another area of concern is Mehling, where none of the water fountains are in use.
They have been non-functioning for at least three or four years, according to Blume.
"It's a piping problem too," Blume said.
Blume said the water fountains in Mehling are on the list to be assessed during the first phase.
In addition to assessing the water fountains on campus, Physical Plant is looking at all the water fixtures - toilets, shower heads and faucets - to see if they are water-efficient, both on campus and in the UP rental units.
Physical Plant workers will notify the tenants 24 hours before they inspect the water fixtures.
The assessments of the water fixtures are estimated to be completed at the end of March.
