The Brandeis Sustainability Fund has awarded a $25,000 grant to TapBrandeis, a group advocating against the sale of plastic water bottles, to build six "Hydration Stations" across campus.

According to TapBrandeis Co-founder Sara Taylor '16 in an interview with the Justice, the plan includes four stations in indoor locations and two in outdoor locations. The exact locations have not yet been confirmed, but Taylor stated that the group had suggested areas such as the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, Usdan Student Center and Mandel Quad, as well as dormitories where there are currently no water fountains, such as East Quad.

The stations themselves are similar to water fountains but more convenient, according to Taylor. The indoor stations, for example, would be mounted on walls, where bottles could be placed and be automatically refilled.

"Some of [the models] even have a little screen where it says 'You have filled this many bottles,'" which could be used to make an educational impact, according to Taylor.

According to TapBrandeis Co-founder Jamie Garuti '15 in an interview with the Justice, the stations also address sanitation concerns, as the stations can be fitted with a filter and the water spout does not make direct contact with water bottles, preventing cross-contamination.

Ultimately, the goal of the stations is to encourage the use of reusable water bottles as an alternative to buying bottled water.

In an interview with the Justice, Sustainability Coordinator Lea Lupkin said that the stations would be a "fantastic tool" to provide students with clean water and to educate them.

"I'm really excited because I absolutely support the students' effort to reduce bottled water but it's very difficult to ask people to change a behavior when there isn't an easy, convenient way for them to change that behavior," said Lupkin.

Similar stations are already in place on several other college campuses, airports, parks and other public spaces, according to a Sept. 15, 2011 USA Today article.

TapBrandeis, which is also composed of Alina Pokhrel '15, Emma Balmuth-Loris '14 and Jeremy Goodman '14, was formed last semester while the students were taking the experiential learning course "Greening the Ivory Tower," where they were required to come up with a project to promote sustainability on campus. Taylor and Garuti said that they and other classmates were inspired by the documentary Flow, which depicts the negative environmental and ethical consequences of the bottled water industry.

The group decided to advocate against the sale of bottled water at Brandeis. Currently, there is a ban on selling bottled water in Usdan Boulevard and Cafe, instituted under former University President Jehuda Reinharz, although bottled water can still be purchased in convenience stores, such as the P.O.D. market.

The group started a petition against bottled water sales and has hosted events to raise awareness about the bottled water industry. They also met with Marketing and Sustainability Coordinator of Aramark Erin Fletcher and held a survey to gather student opinions about their cause.

"We found that we needed to have a solution before we got rid of the problem," said Taylor, which prompted the group members to research how other schools have implemented bottled water bans, leading them to the idea of Hydration Stations.

Originally, the group wanted to retrofit existing water fountains with gooseneck spouts to accommodate water bottle refills. However, after more research, they found that Hydration Stations would be safer and more convenient.

This semester, two members-Balmuth-Loris and Goodman-are studying abroad but the group has teamed up with Students for Environmental Action, while continuing to receive survey responses from students and support from administrators.

Many details of the project are yet to be determined, according to Lupkin, Taylor and Garuti, but they will continue to meet with school officials and Facilities Services to work out a final plan and timeline.

"We want to make Brandeis students more aware and get them in a mindset that they act in an environmentally responsible way," said Garuti.

According to its website, the BSF "provides grants, advice and support" to undergraduate students who wish to create a project that supports sustainability on campus. Created in 2010, the fund originally had $50,000 to provide to student projects and was awarded an additional $25,000 from National Office Furniture in 2011.

According to Lupkin, the Hydration Stations project received the most funding out of all the projects this year.
"It's one of the biggest BSF projects to date and the biggest one this year," she said.