Aside from the purchasing of plastic, there are other numerous environmental impacts stemming from the use of disposable bottles, including:
A pivotal part of being a bottled water free campus is the constant revitalization of the drinking fountains on campus. The Facilities and Sustainability teams, as the stewards of the water infrastructure network on campus, undertake the task of surveying all the water fountains on campus every year, repairing those in bad condition and installing new ones where appropriate. Improving the accessibility of water, both physically and financially, is paramount to changing habits. There are currently 210 drinking fountains on campus.
of fountains on campus have a gooseneck to fill bottles, a 1% increase from the previous year.
of fountains on campus have a “good” taste, a decrease of 1% from the previous year.
of fountains on campus are accessible, an increase of 3% from the previous year.
of fountains on campus have “high” or “medium” pressure, a 2% increase from the previous year.
of fountains on campus dispense “cold” water, a 4% decrease from the previous year.
of fountains are considered “clean” or “acceptable”, a 3% decrease from the previous year.
This year’s survey was conducted by a trained employee. Every indoor and outdoor water fountain was surveyed at the University of Ottawa. Fountains located in restricted areas and construction zones were not surveyed and listed as “unknown”. The information was collected for the following criteria: taste, accessibility, gooseneck, cleanliness, temperature, and pressure. The data collected was analyzed and compared to previous years.
The total number of fountains on campus has grown by 46% since the University began to transition to a bottled water free campus.
There are a number of new water filling stations on campus that record the number of disposable plastic bottles avoided. Next year’s report will start recording this number to help track the popularity of the fountains.
