Campus Water Fountain Rankings

The water fountains on campus vary dramatically in temperature, pressure, and taste, and the differences have become a topic of genuine debate among students who walk the same routes every day. On the 2nd floor of the science building, the fountain dispenses water cold enough to feel refrigerated, with a stream arc that hits the center of a bottle mouth without splashing. Metallic taste that plagues older fountains is completely absent. The one in the basement of the arts building runs lukewarm and the pressure is so weak that filling a bottle takes over a minute, and most people avoid it. I like how the quality of something as basic as drinking water can shape your route through campus. I add 3 minutes to my walk between classes specifically to use the good fountain. Bottle-fill stations that display a counter of plastic bottles saved are a nice touch, showing a running total that creates a small sense of collective impact. Newer fountains with filtered water and digital counters are better in every way than the old porcelain models. The old ones have a solidity and a presence that the plastic replacements lack.