New drinking fountains placed on campus

This archived article was written by: Shadayah Jones

Shadayah Jones
staff writer
[email protected]
When Thomas Garvin started his reign as student body president, he wanted to use student fees more effectively. On his list was to replace some of the old drinking fountains on campus.
“The drinking fountains were replaced with new ones that provide filtered water where the other ones did not, and they also dispense filtered water into bottles which helps cut down on the cost and waste of bottled water,” says Garvin, the student body president at USU-Eastern. There are three new drinking fountains located in the student center, BDAC and the SAC building.
Garvin attended a meeting at Utah State University. While he was there he noticed the drinking fountains there and decided that the students need something like that on campus at USU Eastern. Garvin took action and the first filtered-drinking fountain was installed upstairs of the Jennifer Leavitt Student Center.
These drinking fountains cost about $1,800. The student association has paid for about half the cost and the campus budget paid for the remaining cost. Although they cost $1,800, the new drinking fountains save about 11,316 bottles a year which adds up to about $5,000 per bottle of water. “Over time the fountains will save the students money by using the fountains and not buying bottled water” says Garvin.
Garvin learned in Mr. Weber’s chemistry class that it takes about a quarter of a cup of oil to produce one bottle of water. That includes production, transportation and distribution. The new drinking fountains will help save the environment. When asked if there is any possibility of getting the new drinking fountains in the residence halls, Garvin said there are no plans as of now.
Garvin would like to encourage all students, faculty and staff to boycott the buying of bottled water and use the new water fountains to save you money and help improve the environment.