HFC School of STEM hydration station breaks 1,000

On Feb. 5, HFC installed its first water fountain "hydration station" in the Science Building (J).

The Environmental Studies program students use this station as part of a living lab. The new station, a simple infrastructural change, reinforces the principles of environmental sustainability by demonstrating practical applications of technology, resource management, and waste abatement.

Bottles that are never created

The station has a sensor that keeps track of how many bottles are refilled. Each tick represents the lifecycle of a plastic water bottle that was never created.

This means:

• Energy and resources were not used to refine and manufacture the non-bottle.
• Fuel was not used, and pollution was not created along the non-bottle's transport and travels.
• The non-bottle never needed to be disposed of or recycled -- processes that require energy.
• The non-bottle or its waste byproducts never ended up in the environment.

HFC's commitment to environmental stewardship

At the end of February, the number of bottles filled was approximately 300. At the end of March, it had reached 1,100.

The School of STEM looks forward to the tens of thousands of bottles that will not end up in the environment or landfill, thanks to the hydration station.

We recommend that you obtain a sustainable water bottle, and refill it at the hydration station or one of the water-bottle-equipped water fountains on campus. Sustainable water bottles are available from your favorite retailer or the HFC College Store (if you want to carry a Hawk water bottle!).

The Biology Department and Environmental Studies program are excited to have the hydration station as a teaching tool and representation of HFC’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

For questions or more information, contact Dr. Mary Parekunnel at mparekunnel@hfcc.edu.