Four new water bottle refill stations are now available on the College of Charleston’s campus. This is part of the Office of Sustainability’s effort to promote refilling reusable water bottles over single-use plastic bottles. The College’s first outdoor refill station is located at the corner of Cougar Mall and College Way, with new indoor locations in Craig Hall, the BellSouth Building, and the Cato Center for the Arts.
The refill stations are part of the College’s first ever “Tap That” campaign, designed to encourage people to drink water from the tap instead of buying more plastic water bottles
“We believe that clean drinking water is a fundamental right for all and we strive to promote access to it here at the College,” says Keri Hlavin, campaign coordinator and Office of Sustainability intern. “Overall this will help save the College money as it reduces recycling costs and decreases waste generated. And every fall, the Office of Sustainability provides stainless steel water bottles for each member of the incoming class.”
The Office of Sustainability has received positive feedback on the initiative. “Great idea for going green!” Larry Craven, the Physical Plant’s Plumbing Shop supervisor said. “We monitor the stations on a regular basis and the usage clearly shows that members of the community are refilling a large number of water bottles each day.”
[Related: See an up-to-date map of the refill station locations.]
Money for the water refill stations came from the College’s ECOllective Fund, which uses the $10 green fee paid by every student to support projects and initiatives make the College more sustainable.
About the Office of Sustainability at the College of Charleston
The Office represents the hub for teaching, researching, and practicing sustainability on campus and in the greater Charleston community. The Office of Sustainability is located within Business Affairs, giving it a high profile on campus and in the community, where it is accessed and influenced by all members of our campus community. This represents an exciting step forward for the College of Charleston, and signals a new chapter in our esteemed history. Stay up-to-date with us by visiting sustainability.cofc.edu and on our Facebook page at http://Facebook.com/CofC.sustainability.
About the Physical Plant
The Physical Plant is a professional service organization committed to supporting the College of Charleston’s Strategic Plan. Our mission is to provide the students, faculty and staff facilities that are conducive to a positive learning environment. Through the efforts of over 100 dedicated associates, the Physical Plant is responsible for over 100 facilities many in excess of over 150 years old and the utilities infrastructure.
