As part of an initiative to increase bottle-filling capabilities in UCLA campus buildings, Facilities Management recently kicked off the 25 Thirsty Buildings Project. This initiative to transition from plastic water bottle usage to tap water is another step to move UCLA closer to zero waste to landfill.
Moving Towards Tap Water Usage
Over the last five months, the FM Plumbing Shop has been strategically replacing drinking fountains in buildings across the campus with either a new hydration station or a fountain with bottle-filling capabilities. So far, ten stations have been installed with assistance from FM Carpenters, Electricians, Masons, Painters and Sheetmetal Shops. The Plumbing Shop is scheduled to install 25 new bottle filler/hydration stations in total over the next two years as a part of this project. FM is going one step further to assist the campus community by identifying the location of these hydration stations on a layer of the interactive campus map.
Why We Rely on Bottled Water
Urban and Regional Planning Graduate student Bianca Juarros determined in a research study that a majority of the UCLA community (students and staff) rely on bottled water for their drinking water on campus as there is limited access to tap water in many buildings. The Thirsty Building Project minimizes the use of unrecycled plastic water bottles, which flood landfills, and also helps reduce the production and transport of expensive bottled water.
Hydration Stations installed in Murphy Hall (left) and Factor Building (right)
