Student Congress gives school clean water fountain

Havre High School Student Congress installed a distilled water bottle fountain at their school to keep students hydrated.

The EZ H2O Bottle Filling Station dispenses distilled water as an alternative to the public water fountains placed throughout the school.

Lita Cammon, who is a part of Student Congress, said the fountain will eliminate some of the plastic that comes out of the school in garbage.

"I think it's good, so we can eliminate some of the waste," Cammon said.

She said that the fountain will also be useful to athletes, who need to stay hydrated. They will now be able to fill water bottles quickly, instead of just waiting at the normal fountains.

The fountain cost Student Congress $1,000 and the $83 water filters need to be changed an average of once a year, depending on how much use they get.

Student Congress Adviser Lindsey Manuel-McInerney said that so far the fountain has eliminated more than 1,800 water bottles.

"The school is looking into getting another if it goes well," Manuel-McInerney said.

The water bottle fountains are gaining in popularity in other schools due to what they do to eliminate waste, and because they provide clean water to the students. It also cuts down on the amount of cross-contamination a traditional water fountain gets, which is a good thing during flu seasons.

The water fountain is a sort of two-in-one deal, in that the traditional water fountain spout is still available for use, while the water bottle filler sits on top of it. The water bottle is placed on the fountain, a button is pushed, and the bottle is filled in about 10 seconds.

Student Congress is also selling water bottles decorated by them in Blue Pony style for $15. They have sold around 30 so far, and have about 130 left.

"They make great Christmas presents," said Hannah Pepprock, another Student Congress member.