filtered water stations on western michigan university's campus:
TRANSCRIPT
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FilteredWaterStationsonWesternMichiganUniversity’sCampus:
ASustainableAlternativetoBottledWater
ByAlexSecrest&KimShafer
ENVS4100:AppropriateTechnologyandSustainabilityTheCampusasaLivingLaboratory
Dr.HaroldGlasserSpring2010
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II.TableofContentsI. ExecutiveSummary 3
II. Introduction 4
III. MethodologyandData 7
IV. ExamplesofBestPracticesonWMU’sCampus 7
V. ExamplesofBestPracticesonOtherCampuses 8
1.)UniversityofBoulderatColorado
2.)KalamazooCollege
3.)PortlandStateUniversity
4.)GrandValleyStateUniversity
VI. Discussion 11
VII. LimitationsofAnalysis&FutureWork 12
VIII. Conclusions/Recommendations 13
IX. References 15
X. Appendices 18
I.AuthorContacts 18
II.ContactList&EmailCommunicationLog 18
III.SurveyQuestions&Results 27
IV.Student’sBottleEvaluation 32
V.CampusDrinkingFountainEvaluation 34
VI.ThomasReich’sTestingofWaterFountains 35
VII.CostComparisonofFiltrationMachines 36
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I.Summary
Therearesignificantupstreamanddownstreamconsequencesfromtheproduction,transportation,anddisposalofbottledwater.Becausehealthyandsafealternativesexist,thatresultinfewergreenhousegasemissionsandlowercost,webelievemoreeffortshouldbeputintocreatingsustainablealternativesoncampus.RatherthanterminatingourcontractwithCoca‐Cola,wesuggestfortheretobefreefilteredwateravailabletostudents,faculty,andstaff.WebelievethatbydoingsothiswillmakeWMUstandoutinitseffortstoactasasustainabilityleader.Reducingourconsumptionofplastictogetherasacampuscommunity,wouldhelptheuniversityreduceourgreenhousegasemissions(GHG)aswellasprovideawiderangeofeconomicandsocialbenefits.
Packagingisacrucialcomponentofbottledwater.Bottlesprovidecontextualsuggestionsabouttheproductandaremarketedtoattractbuyers.Itissomethinginwhichconsumerscanidentifyandrelateto.Inadditiontoitspackaging,thewatersourcethatislabeledonthebottlemayinfluencechoiceofconsumption.Manycorporationsmayusepicturesofpristinemountainsandwatersourcesonthelabels.AccordingtotheNationalResourceDefenseCouncil,bothCoca‐Cola'sDasaniandPepsi'sAquafina,twoofthebiggestbrandsintheworld,originatenotfrommountainspringsorarcticglaciers,butfrompublicdrinkingwaterfacilities.Bothcompaniespointoutontheirbottlesbylabelingit"purifieddrinkingwater,"butallregulateddrinkingwaterispurified.
Bottledwaterisfarmoreexpensivethanwaterprovidedbyourmunicipalsources.Littletonoevidenceexistssuggestingthatbottledwateriscleanerthantapwater.BottledwaterisregulatedbythefederalgovernmentasafoodproductbytheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA);whereas,theEPAroutinelyregulatesmunicipalwater.
AgrowingnumberofHigherEducationInstitutionshavealreadybeguntoeliminatethesaleofbottledwater.AccordingtoAASHE,sixuniversitieshavebeensuccessfulincampus‐widebottledwaterbans.Althoughwearenotsuggestingbanningthemaltogether,wearehowever,proposingalternativecourseofactionswhichsupportourobjectivestoreduceourGHGemissionsoncampus.AASHEalsoprovidesuniversitieswithvariousbottledwaterpoliciessuchas,studentcampaignstoencourageandreducebottledwaterconsumption,aswellascampaignstobanbottledwaterinspecificareaslikeuniversityevents,meetings,andcommencementceremonies,tonameafew.Theyaredoingsobasedonstudiesthatsuggestbottledwaterhasnegativesocialandenvironmentalimpactsandfurthermore,thatbottledwaterisproducedunderlowerhealthandsafetystandardsthanpublicortapwater.
Studentsinparticular,embracevariousreasonsforchoosingtodrinkbottledwaterinsteadoftapwater.Manyofwhichtakepersonalsatisfactioninbelievingthatwatersoldinaplasticcontainerissomehowbetterforyou.Ingeneral,societyhasdeemedtapwatertobethevillain.Thewideacceptanceofbottledwaterhasabsorbedasapartofourculturetoday.Ifwelookatourlocalactivitiesanddaytoday
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encounters,wecanallwitnesstheprevalenceofthisdetrimentalcommodity.Truthfully,weoughttobemoreconcernedaboutcorporationssuchasNestle,
Pepsi,andCoke,whichareamongmanythatareprivatizingfreshwatersupplies(ElizabethRoyte,Bottlemania).Bearinmindthatthesecorporationsareearningahugeprofitfromsellingwaterasacommodity.Inaddition,thesebottledwatermanufacturerscontinuetoaddanextensiveamountofgreenhousegasesintheirproductionanddistributionprocesses.
Drawingfromresultsofoursurveywithstudiesonunderstandingconsumers’preferences,thereasonsforbottledwaterconsumptionseemedtobevaried.Themainconclusionisthatpeoplegenerallyvalue“goodqualitywater”andmanyarepreparedtospendupto10,000timesmoreforitbecausetheyperceivetobea“purer”or“healthier”product.Iffilteredwateriswhatstudentsprefer,thenwewouldliketorecommendthatWMUshouldmakealternativeoptionsavailableinamoresustainablemanner.
Werecommendforafilteredwaterstationatakey,welltradedlocation,suchastheBernhardCenter.Giventhehighcapitalcoststhatanorganizedplanmayrequire,itisessentialtoknowwhatstrategieswillworkbeforeaplancanbescaledup.TheSustainabilityFundisagreatopportunityforthisprojecttolaunchoncampusandtocontinueitslifecycleoffine‐tuning.ConductingapilotwillbethemostcrucialstepforWMUinordertoevaluatewhetherornotit’slikelytobeeffective.Ourprojectproposalsetsthefoundationforstudentstocontinuemakingimprovementsastheuniversityitselfmakesincrementalstridesasaleaderinsustainability. II.Introduction
Howdidbottledwaterbecomesopopularinfirstplace?Whatdoesitmeanthatweareabandoningourmunicipalsupplies?Toanswerthefirstquestion,bottledwaterstartedoutasanichemarkettwentyyearsago,marketedtowardsthewealthydemographic.Theyhavebecomesoubiquitousnowthatweinvolvetheminoureverydayroutines.
Thetremendousamountofwastethatgoesintotheproduction,distribution,anddisposaloftheonetimeusageofplasticwaterbottlesbringforthasignificantmatterofconcern.Astheplasticindustrycontinuestogrow,andcorporationscontinuetocontendthattheyareallowedtoprivatizewater,therehasbeenacorrelatingincreaseintoxicpollution(bothtotheenvironmentandtohumans). AccordingtoastudyconductedbythePacificInstitute,bottledwaterraisesseriousconcernsabouttheenergyandwaterresourcesrequiredtoproducebottlesanddeliverthemtoconsumers.Theprocessofbottlingwaterproducesmorethan2.5milliontonsofcarbondioxideinayear,andittakes3litersofwatertoproduce1literofbottledwater.Transportingbottledwateralsorequiresmillionsinbarrelsofoil(PacificInstitute).
Takealookaroundyou,mostofwhatweeat,drink,orusecomesprepackagedinpetroleum‐basedplastic,amaterialdesignedtolastforever,yetusedforproducts
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thatwethenthrowaway.Plasticwaterbottlesarerarelyrecycledinaclosedloop.Ratherthanbeingrecycled,86percentofwaterbottlesarethrownaway. Plasticisamajorcontributorofpollution;itgathersintheearth’sdynamicwatersystemswhichthreatensaquaticecosystems.Scientistshavefoundsignificantamountsofplasticparticlesinthestomachsofmarineanimals.Youmightask,“Whatisthesignificanceofthis?”Humanswhoconsumefishmightbeconcernedbecauseitcouldhaveaneffectontheirhealthaswell.Soyousee,thereareupstreamanddownstreamcosts.
Mostplasticcannotberecycledinaclosedloopbecausetheplasticmateriallowerssignificantlyintherecyclingprocess.Forthelasttwodecades,TheAmericanPlasticsCouncil(APC)haspromotedplasticrecyclingasbeingeasy,economical,andsuccessfulwhilesimultaneouslyencouragingtheuseofmoreandmoreplastic.AccordingtotheEnvironmentalDefenseFund,duringtheAPC’seightmonthadvertisingcampaignto“TakeAnotherLookatPlastics,”15billionpoundsofplasticwereproducedinthemeantimeandonly1billionweretakenbackandrecycled.Thegrowthofnewplasticproductscontinuestooutpacethegrowthofplasticproductrecyclingbyafactorof14to1.(EnvironmentalDefenseFund,"Somethingtohide:Thesorrystateofplasticsrecycling,"October21,1997). Wearefacedwiththematterthatbottledwateriswidelyacceptedandperceivedtobe“better”thantapwater.Fromoursurvey,webelievebottledwateractsasapure,tasty,convenientalternativeforstudentsratherthanmakinguseofthecampustapanddrinkingfountains.Oursurveyalsosuggeststwomaincontributingfactors:convenienceandtaste.Furthermore,webelieveawiderangeofnegativeperceptionsofthecampusdrinkingfountainsexist,whichservetoupholdtheirbehavioralandsocialreasoningtocometoadecisiontodispense$1.25forwater.Fromanobjectiveperspective,bottledwaterisnotnecessarily“better”or“worse”thantapwater.
Notsurprisingly,bottledwaterconsumptionissometimeshigherincommunitiesthathaveseriousproblemswiththeirtapwater.Waterscarcityisacriticalissueinmanylessdevelopedandafewdevelopedpartsoftheworld.Morethan2.5billionpeoplelackaccesstocleandrinkingwaterbecausetheydonothavethenecessaryinfrastructuretofiltercontaminatedwater(ActiveWater,2010).InAmerica,wearefortunateenoughtohavedrinkingwaterthatisregulatedbytheEPAtoensureitissafetodrink.Likewise,therearehealthrisksrelatedtodrinkingbottledwater.Similarcaseshaveoccurredwherebottledwaterhavebeencontaminatedwithcarcinogens.Inamorerecentcase,Coca‐ColadecidedtoremoveDasanifromtheUKmarket,afterfindingoutthatthelevelsofbromate,apotentialcarcinogen,exceededlegalstandards.
AgrowingnumberofHigherEducationInstitutionsareincreasingtheireffortstoreduceprivatizationofbottledwateroncampus.Forasocialstrategywarrantingchangetobeeffective,wemustsortthroughcompetingsystemsanddiscoverthebarriersthatinhibitstudentsfromengaginginthealternativeactivityweaimtofoster.Wefollowedaseriesofstepstobeginrevealingsomeofthebarrierswesetouttoidentify.Itwouldbeappropriatetouncovertheselfbenefitsstudentsbelieveare
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associatedwithengagingthisalternativemovement.Weneedtodetermineandovercomethebarrierstotapwaterandfountainuse
atWMUinordertoreduceconsumptionofbottledwater.Fromoursurvey,westudiedthesocialaspectsthatstudentshaveonbottledwater.
Thestepswetooktorevealtheconstrainingbarrierswere:1)Conductasurveywitharandomsampleofstudents.Thesurveysupplieddataforthetypesofbarriersweaimedtodiscover.2)Conductanotherstudyusingourowncriteriaforjudgingtheconditionsofthedrinkingfountainsoncampus.Todothis,wemadeacolumnedchartthatfirstnamedthelocationswevisited,followedbyanexteriorauditanditsstateofworkingorder(AppendixV).3)Theinformationwasthengatheredandcomparedfromourtwosurveysandpresentedtomakeourcase. Ourultimatepurposeofthisprojectistomakefilteredwateravailableoncampusforfree.WMUhastheopportunitytosubstituteanenergyintensivebehaviorforonethatachievesagreatersustainableobjective;onethataimstoreduceunnecessarywastesandenergyconsumptionassociatedwiththelifecycleintheproduction,transportation,anddistributionofplastic.Itisimportanttoconsiderthemanyimpactsthathaveabearingontheenvironment. Ifpeoplehaveaccesstogoodqualitytapwater,theyshoulduseit.Onthecontrary,whatwe’vegatheredfromoursamplesurveyisthattheconditionoffountaintapwaterinfluenceshisorherdecisiontodrinkfromthem.Wehavedevelopedaproposalwhichaimstoprovideanoptimalsolutionfortheuniversityaswellasmakehighqualitydrinkingwateravailabletothecampuscommunity.Together,itwillbepairedwithaprogramtoencouragetheuseofreusablecontainers.Ourgoalswillbetoreducetheuseofplasticbottles,decreasethebarriersthatstudentsarefacedwithconcerningcampusdrinkingwateroptions,andsupporttheprimeselectedreusablecontainersfromKleanKanteen. Toputfiltereddrinkingstationsintoeffectwouldserveasanactioniteminourpromotiontodecreasetheamountofwasteweproducetogetherasacampus.Manufacturingisonlythefirststepinanenergyintensiveprocessofconsumingwaterinplasticwaterbottles.Incontrasttotapwater,thetransportingbottledwaterinvolvesburningmassivequantitiesoffossilfuels.Roughly80‐86percentofplasticwaterbottlesendupasgarbageandtheonlymaterialthatcanberecycledisthematerialknownasPET.IfthemanufacturerusesPETfortheirbottlingpractices,theyarerequiredtonameitonthebottle,whichisusuallylocatedonthebottom. WMUischallengedtoexpanditsexistingsustainabilityeffortsandcommitmentsbyunderliningthestoriesofsuccessfulmodelsofsustainabilityfunctionsandactivities.AsidentifiedintheACUPCCStrategicSustainabilityInitiativesReport,“weneedtocreateandinstitutionalizeprocessesfor:1)developingopen,collaborativesustainabilitystrategicplanning;2)identifyingandallocatingthenecessaryresourcestosuccessfullyimplementourplans;and3)settingbothachievablegoalsandtargetsandmeasuringandtrackingoursuccesstostimulateimprovement.”(ACUPCC)
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III.MethodologyandData Sincethereisnopastprojectwhichrelatestofilteredwaterstationsbeinginstalledoncampus,ourprimarymissionwastodevelopastudentsurveytoseehowiftherewasstudentsupportinmakingfilteredwateravailableatnocosttothem.Anotherkeypointwehuntedtoinvestigatewerethepurchasinghabitsofstudentsofbottledwater.Forexample,weasked“Whereyourprimarysourceofdrinkingcomesfrom”,“Atwhatquantitydoyoupurchase”,andgeneralreasonsfordrinkingbottledwaterversusothersources.Weexpectedahigherpercentageofstudentstopurchasebottledwater.Ourresultshowever,weretheopposite.Thiscouldpartlybeduetothedesignofsomeofthequestions. Inadditiontoseekingstudent’sperceptionsofthefountains,weexaminedtheconditionsourselves.Inourevaluationweincludedtowhatextenttheindividualfountainsoperatedaswellasthesmell,taste,andappearanceofthem.Theresultsfromtestingrevealedanewlight;suddenly,ourgeneralperceptionsofthefountainswerenotasterribleasweinitiallypredictedthemtobe.Onaverage,mostweresatisfactorywithafewexceptions. Wewantedtobegingroundworkforintroducingahighqualitystainlesssteelwaterbottle,availableatWMUbookstore.Wesearchedforcompanieswhosefoundationsarededicatedtosustainablemanufacturing.Wethenfocusedaquestiononthesurveyofwhetherornotstudentswouldpurchaseahighqualitywaterbottle.Whenitcametothewaterbottles,alotofpastresearchwasalreadycompleteontheEcoMug,suchasifthecompanymanufacturesitsproductsbasedonsoundpractices.ThegroupofstudentswhohaveworkedontheEcoMuginthepastalsoconductedaseriesofteststodecidetheproduct’sdurability.Thisworkhelpedusdecidewhichcompaniestopurchasesamplesfrom.Wedecidedtogathersamplesfromtwocompanies,TheExpressLineandKleanKanteen. Afterlookingatthemanywaterbottleoptionsofferedinthecampusbookstores,startingfromanarrayofplastictoaluminum,werealizedagoodqualitybottlemadefromstainlesssteelisnotavailabletopurchase.Thatisthereasoningforsearchingforsomethingthatisofhigherqualityforstudents.Oncewefoundthetwocompanieswedesiredforthetest,wedistributedsomesamplestothestudentsinourclass.Theirhomeworkwastotestthewaterbottlesineverywaypossiblethatwouldrevealitsdurabilityandoveralllikeness.(SeeAppendixIV)IV.ExamplesofBestPracticeonCampus Whilesomecreationoffootingwasstartedbyaresearchundergraduate,weareessentiallyembarkinguponafresh,newinitiative.Chris,theresearchundergraduate,exploredvaluableinformationcomparingthecostsassociatedwithsomeofthedifferentoptionsoffiltrationmachines.Chrisalsoconductedablindtastetestthat
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offeredtwotypesofwater:ReverseOsmosisandFilteredwater.Theresultsfromthesmalltestingrevealedthatoverallitwasanevenlydividedpreference. Perhapsthemostvaluablepieceofdatacamefromaresource(ThomasReich)thatperformedwaterqualitytestsatfivedifferentlocationsoncampus(SeeAppendixVI).Hissamplingsindicatedthatthewaterqualityisindeedsafe.Ifthisistrue,thentheremustbeareasonwhystudentsstillpreferbottledwaterovertapwater.Asweinitiallypredictedaboutthewater’squality,thereweresizeableamountsofIron.Ironissignificantbecauseithasaneffectonthewater’stasteandappearance.Wehaveidentifiedtastetobethesinglemostcontributingfactortowhystudentsaremotivatedtodrinkbottledwaterinsteadoftapwater.Theevidenceisthere,andthatshowsthatthewaterisadequate;however,itdoesnotdenythefactthatthetasteofthewaterisnotdesirable.Inordertofindoutwhy,weusedoursurveytocorrelatestudents’opinionsandperceptionsofthedrinkingfountainconditionswithourownfindingsfromexaminingthefountains.
Moreover,eventhoughwearepresentedwithevidencethatourwaterqualityoncampusisbelowthelevelofconcern,thesetestsshouldbeusedasabasisforfurtherinvestigationbyextendingtoperformmoretests.V.ExamplesofBestPracticeonOtherCampuses Inparticular,ColoradoatBoulderwasaleadingmodelinourinitiative.Ourpremiseisthatsuccessfulpositivechangeshaveoccurredatuniversitieswhenstudents,withthesupportoffaculty,developinnovativeprojectsandsolutionstoaddressourpastandpresentunsustainablebehaviors.Collegesaremagnetsforresourcesandinterestingpeople,ideas,andprojectsthatcanhavesignificantimpactontheircommunity’ssustainabledevelopmentefforts.
Inanefforttoprotecttheenvironment,universitiesarebecomingleadersinecoculturalsustainabilitybyconsideringalternativeoptionsthatwillprovidefilteredwaterstationsinsteadofbottledwater.Belowarethemajoruniversitiesthathaveinfluencedusonthepathforourproposal.OurbiggestinfluenceswereCUatBoulderandKalamazooCollege.Althoughwedidnothavetheextendedamountoftimeorfinancialresourcesavailabletousatthetimetoexecuteourproposalforapilot,wemirroredsomeoftheirstepsbecausetheyweresuccessfulinimplementingsustainablewaterpracticesontheircampuses.
UniversityofBoulderatColorado Thepracticesatthisuniversitywerethemostinfluentialtousbecausethestudentswhoworkedonitclearlydefinedtheirplaceandgoalsinitsmissiontochangingattitudesandinfluencingsustainablebehaviors.Students,faculty,andstaffat
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UniversityofBoulderatColoradostartedoutbyrecognizingcurrentunsoundactivitiesoncampus;whichiswhatwehavesetforthtoexpose. Inthelastdecade,studentbodysupportatBoulderColoradohasblossomedsinceitbeganitsearlystagesoftransformationasauniversityleaderinshiftingtowardaminimalimpactlifestyle.Boulder’slifecyclebeganin2008,whenDiningServicesfirstlaunchedfilteredwaterstationsasapilotindininghalls.Subsequenttotheinstallation,theirnextstepwastoincreasethepopularitybyusingincentivesandotherpublicawarenesstools.WiththehelpofdedicatedmemberswhofirstlaunchedabottledwaterteamandwiththesupportofDiningServices,CoordinatorofNutritionandSales,CoordinatorforFacilities,andCoordinatorforProcurement,thishardworkingteamwasabletosuccessfullyoutlineproblemsoncampus. AccordingtoDiningServices,thepresenceofthefilteredwaterstationshadmadelittleornoimpactonthelargeamountofbottlewaste.Wefurtherinvestigatethislowusagerateandtoprovidesuggestionsforimprovements,whichwaspairedwiththerequesttoencouragetheuseofreusablemugs.Ourownmissionwassimilartotheirs,withtheexceptionthatWMUdoesnotalreadyownfilteredstationsandwesetouttoencouragereusablewaterbottlesinsteadofmugs.AkeyactionplanforCUatBoulderinvolveddesigningcreativesignsthattogetherpromoteandhelpeducatestudentsabouttheuseoffilteredwaterstationsasahealthyalternative. LikeWMU,bottledwateronBoulder’scampusisproducedbytheCoca‐ColaCorporationalongwithafewothers.Theytookitastepfurtherandcalculatedtheapproximatehealthandecologicalfootprintsconcerningthemanufacturingofthevarioustypesofplasticbottles.ThismodelwouldbeveryimportanttoWMUinthefutureandwouldserveasahugeleverageforinitiatingachange.Althoughpaststudentshavedevelopedaformulatosummarizetheschool’sgreenhousegasemissions,notallactivitieshavebeenmeasured.Calculatingtheenergyuse,wouldassiststudentenvironmentalresearcherstogathermorequantitativedataandcalculateresultsintothepreviouswork. Thestudentsputupsignsabovethewaterfiltrationstations.Withoutexplainingwhatitisandthereasonforitbeingthere,studentswouldhavelittleideaandwouldeasilypassitby.Wedecidedthatitwouldbeagreatideatoputupourmuralsandposterstocatchtheattentionofpassingstudents. Theirsurveyobservationsofferedperceptionaboutthehighrateofbottledwateruse.KalamazooCollege
Inthe2007‐2008schoolyear,theenvironmentalorganizationatKCollegeinitiatedacampaigntospreadawarenessabouttheimpactsofunsustainablebehaviorsonfreshwatersupplies.KCollege’sactionplanbeganwithathreepartcampaignthatisapartoftheCollege’sclimatecommitmentplanandefforttoreducetheconsumptionofbottledwateroncampus.Theenvironmentalorganizationfirstdirectedtheirefforttowardsmakingavisualillustrationofemptywaterbottlesandhungthemoncampus.
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Thenextstepwastosetupatableinthecafeteriatosellreusablewaterbottlesandalsotoencouragestudentstosignpledgestoreduceoreliminatebottledwaterconsumption.TheircampaignwaspartoftheThinkOutsidetheBottleCampaign.“Thisisacampaigntopromote,protect,andensurepublicfundingforourwatersystems”(thinkoutsidethebottle.org)PortlandStateUniversity
Portland’sEnvironmentalClubinitiatedapubliccampaigncalled“TakeBacktheTap,”anorganizedcampaigntoreducetheuseofplasticbottlesonPSU’scampus.
TheireffortsofleadershipwerepublishedinThePortlandTribune.Indoingso,theirawarenessreachedevenmoreindividualswhichencouragedparticipationandsupportintheirstrivingactionstowardecoculturalsustainability.Again,thisstressestheimportanceofpublicawarenessprogramsasatoolforchangingsocialbehavior.GrandValleyStateUniversity StudentonTapisacommitteeatGrandValleyStateUniversity.JoshLyckastatedthatthecommittee’smainareaoffocusisdirectlyrootedineducation.Thisgroupofstudentsstronglybelieveeducatingthepublicabouttheactualupstreamanddownstreamcostsofbottledwateriswhatfuelssupportfortheirinitiative. StudentsonTapisjustgettingthecampaignstarted,butalreadytheyhaveschemedpossiblealternativesforstudentsshouldthecampaignbesuccessful.Someofthosealternativesinclude:reverseosmosiswaterstations,gettingreusablewaterbottlesouttostudents,andhavingacheck‐outsystemforstudentswheretheycanrentorborrowareusablebottleintheeventtheydonotcarrytheirown.Thislastideapresentsobviouspotentialhealthissues,aswellastakinginconvenienceintoconsideration,whichiswhywechosenottoincorporateit. VI.DiscussionAnalysisofDrinkingFountainsandSurveyResults
Ourfindingsofsomeofthecampusdrinkingfountainswereforthemostpart,fairlysimilar.Whenwefirststartedourproject,ourinitialperceptionsofthedrinkingfountainswereverypoor;weexpectedthemtobedirtyandundesirabletodrinkfrom.
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However,wefoundsurprisingopposingresultsonceweevaluatedthem.Tosummarizeourresults,wefoundthatcorrodedresiduetendedtoaccumulate
onmanyofthefountain’sspout.Thischaracteristic,whichremainedconsistentasweexaminedseveralfountains,consistedofacombinationofwhite,blue‐greencrud.Althoughthisappearstobedispleasingforusers,itdoesn’tchangethefactthatthewatercomingoutfromthefountainisjustassufficient,orevenmoreso,thanthewaterthatispumpedfromafarawaysourcebybottlewatercorporations.
Fromtheresultsofoursurvey,therewere71.6percentoftheresponseswhichstatedthattheconditionofthecampusdrinkingfountainsaffectstheirdecisiontousethem.Furthermore,63.3percentoftherespondentsstatedthatlackofcleanlinessiswhatdisappointsthemaboutthedrinkingfountains.Otherdeterminingcharacteristicsworthmentioningaremalfunctionsofthemachine(i.e.watershootsouttoosoftly,ortoorapidly),51.4percentandtasteofthewater,66.1percent.Together,thesenumbersprovideevidencethattheappearanceofthefountainastheuserapproachesitforadrinkwillgreatlydirecthisorherdecisiontodrinkfromit.Ifthisisindeedtrue,weneedtoexamineanactionplantoadjustusers’behaviortotakeadvantageofthewaterthatissuppliedbyourlocalwatersystemsinsteadofsupportingtheprivatizationofwaterthatisboughtandsoldbycorporatecompanies.Byswitchingfrombottledwatertoasourcethatistreatedlocallyandprovidedatamuchlowercosttothecommunity,wewouldbesupportingfurtherinvestmenttowardfutureimprovementsofthecity’smunicipalsystem.
Iffilteredwatersystemswereinstalledoncampus,86.2percentofstudentswouldbelikelytousethem.Thisnumber,althoughtakenfromasmallpopulationsample,mayprovideenoughevidencethatwouldsuggestalargersamplewouldlikewisecounterthesameanswer. Thelocationofapilotisobviouslyoneofthemostimportantfactorsinitssuccess,sowesetouttoaskstudentswhatwouldbeadesirablelocationtofilluptheirreusablewatercontainers.84.2percentofstudentsthatparticipatedinoursurveysaidthattheywouldusethefilteredwaterstationsiftheywerelocatedintheBernhardCenter.Wegavethemanoptiontoalsosuggesttheirownlocationidea.Amongthemwere:theResidenceHalls,Sangren,SprauTower,andParkview.Tosetupafiltrationmachinethiswouldcallforanexpensiveupfrontcost.Nevertheless,theuniversityisresponsiblefortheremovalofitslitterandrecycledproducts;andbyreducingourconsumptionofmerelynonreusableplasticwaterbottles,wouldalonesaveagreatdealofmoney. OurfirstandonlyscenariowouldbeforthepilotmachinetobeinstalledinsidetheBernhardCenter.Wechosenottoexploreotherlocationsbecausewewantedtofocusmainlyonapracticallocationoncampustoconductatrial.
Oneofoptionsofamachinewefoundwasthe“ElkayEXH20BottleFillingStation.”Wehavealsocomeupwithotherfiltrationmachines(SeeAppendixVII).
Ourmostlimitingfactorwastime,especiallysincetherewasnotalotofgroundworktoassistinthebeginningphasesofourproposal.Weinitiallyhadsomanyaspirationsofwhatwehadhopedtoaccomplish,butsimplydidnothavetheamountoftimeitwouldrequire.
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AnalysisofWaterBottles
Wedecidedthatthere‐reusablewaterbottlesthatweprovideshouldbestainlesssteel.Ourdecisionwasbaseduponthatthereisnocurrentevidencethatstainlesssteelwaterbottlesleachharmfulchemicalsanddonotretainflavors.Moreimportantly,stainlesssteelismuchmoredurablethanplastic,lastslonger,andisBPAfree.Sincestainlesssteelisalreadyasafealternativetoaluminumandplastics,itdoesnotneedtobelinedforprotection.LinersinreusablewaterbottlesusuallycontainBPA,aharmfulsubstancethathasbeenconnectedtonumerousillnesses.Thestainlesssteelwaterbottlesdonottakeonotherflavorsduetothelackofaliner.Otherbenefitstostainlesssteelwaterbottlesincludethedurabilityassociatedwithusingacombinationofchromiumandnickel.Usedtogether,theresistancetostainsandrustisincreased.Also,stainlesssteelprovidesaneasytocleansurfacethatallowsforamoresanitarywaterbottle.Thehealthbenefitsassociatedwithstainlesssteelarereasonenoughtopreferastainlesssteelwaterbottle,therestarejustaddedbenefits. VII.LimitationsofAnalysis&FutureWork Limitations
Oneofthemajorproblemsweencounteredwasgettingoursurveysentoutto
students’e‐mails.Wespenttwodaysattheflagpolestobotheducatestudentsaboutourinitiativeandsurveyingthem.Duringthosetwodays,wecollectedapproximately70to85responsesandtherestwerecollectedfromonlineresponses.Webelievesurveyingattheflagpoleswasasuccessfulleverage,thoughitdidn’treachasmanystudentsaswehadhopedfor.Wee‐mailedseveraladvisors,departmentchairs,andprofessorstoseeiftheywoulddistributeoursurveytotheirlistserverofstudents.Wefoundthatindeed,themostchallengingpartwasgettingtheapprovalthatwasneededfromtheHSIRB.Timewasthefactorinthismatterbecauseitwouldtakemonthsforthemtoapprovethatit.
OursurveywasthefirstofitskindatWMU,therefore,thereisalottolearnfromit.Werealizedthatsomeofthequestionsmayneedtobemoredirectorrephrased.
ThePhysicalPlantwouldbemostresistanttoinstallingandmaintainingwaterstationsbecauseoftheextralaborandcostsitwouldrequire.
FutureWork
• Sincethemanufactures,EarthtoEarth,arewillingtoworkwithWMUto
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improvethestainlesssteelwaterbottlesthatwetested,futureworkisrequiredsothatWMUwillbeabletoofferahighqualitystainlesssteelwaterbottleatthecampusbookstores.
• Educationoutreachcampaigntobringawarenessofgreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwiththeproduction,transportation,etc.
• Furthertestingonmanyotherdrinkingfountains(ThomasReich).
• ContinuetotryandaccessCoca‐colacontract.
• Pilotoffilteredwatermachine(seeAppendixVII).
VIII.Conclusion/Recommendations Concerningthesurvey,wefeltitdidnotreachthepopulationdesired.Atfirstwedidn’tbelievethesurveywasgoingtobeakeysteppingpoint.Ontheotherhand,weconcludedthatitwasfarmoreimportantaspartofourcourseofaction.Werealizedthroughthesurveythatstudentsupportwascriticalandhearinghowthestudentsreallyfeelwassignificantbecauseultimately,ifstudentsdon’tcare,whyshouldtheuniversityfinditnecessarytoinstallexpensivemachines? Afterreviewingthesurvey,wethoughtitwouldbehelpfultoaddthefollowingquestion“Doyoupurchasebottledwater,”inayesornoformat.Itwouldhavebeenalotmoredirectandwewouldhaveobtainedasamplestatisticthatsupportstheirreasonwhytheychosetodrinkbottledwater.Inaddition,itcouldalsopresentsupportingdatatowardsthestrikingnumberofplasticwasteonWesternMichiganUniversity’scampus. Afterfurtherrefiningourproposalinitiative,weaimforittobereviewedandacceptedbytheSustainableFundBoard.Thefundcanprovidesufficientfundingthatisneedforthisproject.Amajordrawbackistheinitialcapitalcostsrelatedtothemachines.Forinstance,itwouldrequireanextensiveamountofadditionallabortoinstallandcontinuallymaintainthemachinestomakesuretheyareinproperworkingstatus.Inorderfortheuniversitytofinditpracticaltoinvestinthisproject,itmustbeconsiderablyinexpensive.Weprovideacostcomparisonofsomeoftheelevatedpossibilitiesofmachineoptions(AppendixVII). Wedidn’tfollowtheexactmannerofproceduresthatthesuccessfuluniversitiesinourbestpracticemodelscarriedoutmainlybecauseourschool’scircumstancesareslightlydifferent.Forexample,atCUatBoulder,theirfilteredwaterstationswereimplementedintodininghalls,whichtheyplacedoncountertopsthatbecamepartof
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theircafeteriaoperation.Inourgivencase,thetestpilotlocatedanywhereoncampuswouldneedtobeasomethingstudentscanidentifyeasilysotheywillmakeuseofit.TheBernhardCenterisanidealplacetopilotafiltrationmachine.Oneofthewaystodeterminewhetherit’sbeingusedbythestudentsistodocumentthenumberoftimesthemachinehasbeenusedinagivenday,week,and/ormonth.Apossiblewayofachievingthiswouldbetoinstallasystemtoswipeastudent’sBroncoIDcard.Theswipingsystemwouldalsotelluswho’susingitandamongthestudentswhoare,howoftenandatwhatgiventimesitisbeingused. Ahighpriorityrecommendationforthenextgroupofstudentswhocarryonwiththisproject,wewouldstronglysuggesttocombinetwoformsofqualitativeresearchthatwouldbeusefultoidentifybarriersandbenefits:observationalstudiesandalargefocusgroupsurveystudy. Suggestedobservationalstudiesofthisprojectinvolvewatchingstudentscarryoutachosenbehaviorinadirectmanner.Itwouldbeidealtoobservefirsthandstudentbehaviorsinconnectiontothedrinkingfountains,suchasrecordingtheiractionsandusage.Furthermore,aplanonceapilotisinstalledattheBernhardwouldbetoobserveandrecordstudents’behaviortodetermineifthereisasocialchange.Directobservationswouldbeaveryvaluabletechniquebecauseitwouldbypasslimitationsofexaggeratedresponseswhenaskingstudentstoselfreportabouttheirpersonalbehaviorsbysurvey. Afterexecutionofoursurvey,werealizedthatnotonlywastheparticipatingsamplingclassundersizedbutalso,itdidnotoperatetoconcentrateonanyspecificfocusgroup.Forexample,wecouldhavegearedthequestioningtowardfreshmanstudents,andspenttimeintheresidencehallssurveyingthem.Withtheobtaineddata,wemighthavebeenabletomakealeveragingcaseforinstallingfilteredwatermachinesinresidencehalls,iftheresultsdeemedsignificant. JustasKalamazooCollegehastheOutsidetheBottlePledgeasapartoftheircampaign,wewouldliketoseethatsamepledgebroughttoWMU.Wecouldalsomakethepledgeavailableforstudentstosignoncampus,forexample,thedininghallswouldbeagreatlocationtoraiseawarenessandgainsupport. FurthersuggestionsincludeshowingthefilmTappedoncampus.Itwouldbeapartofourraisingawarenesscampaign.Wehavenotseenthefilmyet,butwehavereadandheardpositivereviewsonit.Thefilmexposesthedangersofthebottleddrinkingwaterindustry,ofwhichmanypeoplearenotawareof.Moreover,thisfilmisaboutthe“behindthesceneslookintotheunregulatedandunseenworldofanindustrythataimstoprivatizeandsellbacktheoneresourcethatoughtnevertobecomeacommodity‐water.”(Tapped‐ReviewfromFilm.com) WecanusethesuccessandfailuresexperiencedbyKalamazooCollegeasanadvantageandusethemasleveragepointsforourinitiativestrategies.Wewouldliketoimplementaneducationalawarenesscampaigntoprovideinsightfulandeffectivefactsrelatingtotheupstreamanddownstreamcostsassociatedwithbottledwatertostudents.
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Ourultimategoalforthefutureistocutdownonbottledwaterinthefollowingareas: 1)NewStudentOrientation 2)Commencement 3)StudentEvents 4)SportingEvents 5)VendingMachines 6)ResidenceHalls 7)CampusCafésIX.References
"AssociationfortheAdvancementofSustainabilityinHigherEducation|News,
Resources,Events,andAssessmentToolsfortheCampusSustainability
Community."AssociationfortheAdvancementofSustainabilityinHigher
Education.N.p.,n.d.Web.15Apr.2010.<http://www.aashe.org/>.
"BottleWater."Orange,BlackandGreen.N.p.,n.d.Web.21Apr.2010.
<reason.kzoo.edu/green/campusinitiatives/waterconservation/bottledwat
er/>.
"BottledWater|Food&WaterWatch."Food&WaterWatch.N.p.,n.d.Web.10Apr.
2010.<http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled/>.
"CorporateAccountabilityInternational."ThinkOutsidetheBottle.N.p.,n.d.Web.20
Apr.2010.<www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org/>.
"EnvironmentalClub's"TakeBacktheTap"CampaignFeaturedinthePortland
Tribune."PSUEcoWiki:Yourlocalsustainabilityactionhub.N.p.,n.d.Web.9
Apr.2010.<http://ecowiki.pdx.edu/component/content/article/1‐latest‐
news/842‐environmental‐clubs‐qtake‐back‐the‐tapq‐campaign‐featured‐in‐
16 | P a g e
the‐oregonian.html>.
"EnvironmentalDefenseFundExposes"SorryState"ofPlasticsRecycling‐
EnvironmentalDefenseFund."EnvironmentalDefenseFundFindingthe
WaysThatWork.N.p.,n.d.Web.18Apr.2010.
<http://www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?ContentID=1888>.
Franklin,Karmen,andMikaelaMadalinkski."ReducingBottledWaterUseinDining
ServicesattheUniversityofColoradoatBoulder."UniversityofColoradoat
Boulder.N.p.,n.d.Web.20Feb.2010.
<envs.colorado.edu/uploads/undergrad/Reducing_Bottled_Water_Use_in_Di
ning_Services_(2).pdf>.
"KleanKanteenCustomerService:FrequentlyAskedQuestions(FAQs)."Klean
Kanteen:theOriginalBPAfree,StainlessSteelBottle.N.p.,n.d.Web.6Mar.
2010.<http://www.kleankanteen.com/faqs/faqs.html>.
Mckenzie‐Mohr,Doug,andWilliamSmith.FosteringSustainableBehavior:An
IntroductiontoCommunityBasedSocialMarketing(Educationfor
SustainabilitySeries).1ed.GabriolaIsland,BC:NewSocietyPublishers,
1999.Print.
"NRDC:PlasticWaterBottles."NRDC:NaturalResourcesDefenseCouncilTheEarth's
BestDefense.N.p.,n.d.Web.18Apr.2010.
<http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/0902.asp>.
"PacificInstitute‐BottledWater."PacificInstitute:ResearchforPeopleandthe
Planet.N.p.,n.d.Web.11Apr.2010.
<http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/i
17 | P a g e
ndex.htm>.
"ReplacingBottledWateronCampusFirstProjectofUniversitySustainability
Council|ArkansasNewswire|UniversityofArkansas."ArkansasNewswire
|UniversityofArkansas.N.p.,n.d.Web.9Apr.2010.
<http://newswire.uark.edu/article.aspx?id=11079>.
Royte,Elizabeth.Bottlemania:HowWaterWentonSaleandWhyWeBoughtIt.New
York:BloomsburyUSA,2008.Print.
"StandardsandRiskManagement|Safewater|Water|USEPA."USEnvironmental
ProtectionAgency.N.p.,n.d.Web.19Mar.2010.
<http://www.epa.gov/safewater/standard/index.html>.
"Tapped."Film.com.N.p.,n.d.Web.18Apr.2010.
<www.film.com/movies/tapped/30552770>.
"UniversitieswithBottledwaterpolicies:americanBottledwaterBansandUse
Reductioncampaigns."AssociationfortheAdvancementofSustainabilityin
HIgherEducation.N.p.,n.d.Web.22Apr.2010.
<www.responsiblepurchasing.org/purchasing_guides/bottled_water_univer
sity_edition/addendum2.pdf>.
"WaterWarning‐IsBottledWaterBetter?."WaterWarning.N.p.,n.d.Web.22Apr.
2010.<http://www.waterwarning.com/bottlewaterfact.php>.
"WhyWater."ActiveWater.N.p.,n.d.Web.18Apr.2010.
<http://www.activewater.org/Our_Story.php>.Zentmeyer,Anya."StudentsonTapseekstoeliminateuseofbottledwater‐GrandValleyLanthorn."GrandValleyLanthorn.N.p.,14Feb.2010.Web.8Apr.2010.<http://www.lanthorn.com/1042‐Bottled‐Water‐Comittee>.
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X.AppendicesAppendixI:AuthorContacts
Name PhoneNumber Email
KimberlyShafer (269)449‐4463 [email protected] (815)342‐1327 [email protected]
AppendixII:ContactListandE‐mailCommunicationLog
Name Title Email PhoneNumber
DonPenskarDirector,LogisticalServices [email protected] 269.387.8804
ChrisChaprara UndergradResearcher [email protected] 269.350.7711
BaibaStepeDirectorofAuxilaryEnterpriseOffice [email protected] 269.387.3362
TomDuisterhof GordonWaterRep. [email protected] 616.262.5188
ThomasReichTestedwaterfromthefountains [email protected] n/a
MatthewHollander
PostgraduateSustainabilityResearcher [email protected] 269.352.5093
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From Betsy Drummer <[email protected]> Sent Thursday, April 8, 2010 8:14 am
To Kimberly Joy Shafer <[email protected]> Subject Re: A student survey
DearBetsy,
Iamabusinessstudent.Iamcurrentlyworkingonasustainbilityprojectproposalforaclass,inwhichtotoimplementfreefilteredwaterstationsthroughoutWMU'scampus.Iwouldgreatlyappreciateyourhelpindistributinthise‐mailbelowtoyourserverlistofstudents.Theurlcontainsashortsurveyforstudents,faculty,staff,etc.Iwouldsogreatlyappreciateyourhelpbysendingthefollowingmessageoutcontainingtheurl.Inadvance,thankyouforyourtimeandhelp.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wmuwater
Thankyou,
KimShafer
HiKim,WedonothavealistservinwhichIcandothis.Sorry!Whenwesendoutmassemails,it'sfromthedirectionofthefacultyandtheofficecoordinatorscangetaclasslistfromtheprofessor.Thebestpersontomaybecontactwouldbesomeoneinchargeofcommunicationforthecollegeofbusiness.ValorieJuergensisourcommunicationcoordinatorforthecollegeofbusiness.Sheworksoutofthedeansoffice,youmaytrytocontactheraboutalistservorsomeothermeansofgettingthisoutforyou.Hereisthewebsitetoourcommunicationsdepartment:http://www.wmich.edu/business/communications/Hopethishelps!BetsyBetsyDrummerOfficeofAdvisingandAdmissionsHaworthCollegeofBusinessWesternMichiganUniversityPhone:(269)387‐5089Fax:269‐387‐[email protected]
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FromValorieJuergens<[email protected]>SentThursday,April8,20109:[email protected]<[email protected]>,[email protected]
SubjectFwd:Astudentsurvey.(HCOB)
DearValorie,
IamabusinessstudentandIamcurrentlyworkingonasustainbilityprojectproposalforaclass,inwhichtotoimplementfreefilteredwaterstationsthroughoutWMU'scampus.IcontactedBetsyDrummer,intheofficeofadvisingandadmissionofbusiness,shesuggestedtoe‐mailourcommunicationscoordinatorsinceshedidnothavealistserv.Iwouldgreatlyappreciateyourhelpindistributingthise‐mailbelowtoyourserverlistofstudents.Theurlcontainsashortsurveyforstudents,faculty,staff,etc.Iwouldsogreatlyappreciateyourhelpbysendingthefollowingmessageoutcontainingtheurl.Inadvance,thankyouforyourtimeandhelp.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wmuwater
Thankyou,
KimShafer
FromThomMyers<[email protected]>SentThursday,April8,201011:15amToKimberlyJoyShafer<[email protected]>CcValorieJuergens<[email protected]>,BetsyDrummer
<[email protected]>,JimGilchrist<[email protected]>SubjectRe:Astudentsurvey.(HCOB)
HiKim,AsurveyofstudentsrequiresapprovaloftheHumanSubjectsInstitutionalReviewBoardandapprovaloftheUniversity'schiefinformationofficer,Dr.JamesGilchrist.WedonotuseWMUe‐mailtodistributeinvitationstotakestudent‐conductedsurveys.WewillpublishinvitationsthroughatargetedannouncementinGoWMU,butonlyifthesurveyispartofdoctoraldissertation.Weestablishedtheselimits,becauseotherwise,wewouldallbeburiedinsurveyrequests.Ifyouwanttoappeal,you
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shouldwritetoDr.Gilchristatjames.gilchrist@wmich.edu.Itwouldbemoreproductive,however,tothinkofotherwaystogetthewordout.Forexample,youhave446Facebookfriends.YoucouldselecttheonesatWMUorHaworthCollegeofBusinessandsendthemaninvitationthroughFB.Regards,ThomThomMyersDirectorofElectronicCommunicationOfficeofUniversityRelationsWesternMichiganUniversityKalamazooMI49008‐5433office(269)387‐8710or387‐8400mobile(269)720‐[email protected]
FromMatthewHollander<[email protected]>SentWednesday,April7,20107:27pmToKimberlyShaferJoy<[email protected]>CcGlasserHarold<[email protected]>
SubjectWatersamplesAttachments Wateraroundcampus.xlsx 38K
DearKim,HereisThomasReich'sdata.NowthatIlookatitheonlytestedfivesources.IfyourecommendthatmoresourcesaretestedatleastweknowthatDr.Koretsky'slabhasthecapabilities(ifnotthetime,money,ordesire)todothem.Hisemailisthomas.j.reich@wmich.eduandheisacoolguy.Cheers,Matt
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FromDonaldPenskar<[email protected]>SentMonday,April12,201012:45pmToKimberlyJoyShafer<[email protected]>
SubjectRe:NumbersonCoca‐Colapurchasing
Mr.Penskar,MynameisKim,I'mastudentworkingonasemesterlongprojectforoneofmyclasses.Inshort,theprojectisaproposaltohelpigniteasustainablechangeoncampus,asPres.Dunnhasrecentlyidentifiedtobecomeintegratedintotheinstitution.OneofthelastpiecesofdatathatwouldbedesirabletoincludewouldbeanyinformationonpurchasingordersforCoca‐Cola.Inparticular,Iamlookingatthetrendofbottledwater,soanapproximatenumberofhowmanyWMUpurchaseswouldbeextremelysupportive.Ifyouhaveanytimetomeetwithmethisweek,insteadofthroughe‐mail,itwouldbemosthelpfulandappreciated.Ithankyouforyourtimeandhelp.Sincerely,KimShafer
Kim,Thanksforyournote....IamnotsurethatIhavethespecificinformationyouneedonthis.....butpleasegivemeacallat269‐387‐8804andIthinkIcanpointyouintherightdirection.DonDonPenskarDirector,LogisticalServicesWesternMichiganUniversityKalamazoo,MI49008Phone‐269‐387‐8804Fax‐269‐387‐8824E‐Mail‐[email protected]
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FromDonaldPenskar<[email protected]>SentTuesday,April13,201012:42pmToKimberlyJoyShafer<[email protected]>
SubjectRe:NumbersonCoca‐Colapurchasing
Kim,IsthereanumberIcanreachyou?Orifyouprefer,pleaseletmeknowatimeyouwouldliketocallandIwillmakesureIamhere....youcanalsotrymycellat269‐217‐4238.Thanks,DonMr.Penskar,Thankyouforrespondingsoquickly.Itriedcallingyourofficenumberyesterday,butunfortunatelywasnotablereachyou.Isthereabettertimetotry?TomakeaclearerpictureofwhatIamsearchingfor,isanyrelatedinformationonCoca‐Colapurchasing.Thisproject,calledWaterFiltrationonCampus,isforDr.Glasser'sclass.Thankyou,KimShaferFromBaibaStepe<[email protected]>SentFriday,April16,20101:34pmToKimberlyJoyShafer<[email protected]>
SubjectRe:Coca‐Colainquiry
HiKimandAlex,
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We,WMUVending,donotpurchaseCoca‐Colaproducts.Cokesuppliesthevendingmachinesandproducttofillthem.Theybeartheentirecost.ProductispurchasedbyDiningforthediningroomsandCafes.ThatcontactpersonisJudyGipper.CokeproductsuppliedtoAthleticsishandledbyathirdparty.Letmeknowifyouhaveanyadditionalquestions.Vendingmachinesareserviced2to3daysaweek.Tilllater,BaibaFromServiceMagicCustomerService
<[email protected]>SentSunday,April18,20108:[email protected]
SubjectYourservicerequestforGordonWaterSystems,Inc.
DearKim,
ThankyouforyourrequesttobematchedwithGordonWaterSystems,Inc.foryourInstallorReplaceaWaterTreatment&PurificationSystemneed.Wearecurrentlyreviewingyourrequestandwouldliketoconfirmthatyouareinterestedinpursuingthisproject.
WearegladthatyouarepartoftheServiceMagiccommunityofhomeownersandprescreened,customer‐ratedhomeserviceprofessionals.Wehopeyou'llcomebacksoon.
ByusingServiceMagic'sservices,youagreetotheServiceMagicTerms&Conditions
CustomerRegards,ServiceTeamServiceMagic,Inc.TollFree:(866)888‐MAGIC(6244)[email protected]
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FromTomDuisterhof<[email protected]>SentMonday,April19,201010:[email protected]
SubjectDrinkingWater
Kim,Iamrespondingtoyourinterestinadrinkingwatersolution.Howcanwehelpyoutoday??Iwillcallyoushortly.BestRegards,[email protected](800.928.3768),Mobile616.262.5188
OnApr19,2010,at11:39AM,KimberlyJoyShaferwrote:Tom,IamastudentatWesternMichiganUniversity.Ihavebeenworkingonasemesterlongprojectproposalinaclassforintroducingfilteredwaterstationsoncampus.Ouraimistoprovidefreefilteredwatertoallindividualsofthecampuscommunity,inanefforttohelpWMU'sjourneytowardsamoresustainableuniversitybyreducinggreenhousegaswastesassociatedwiththeproduction,distribution,anddisposalofbottledwater.OurschoolhasalongstandingcontractwithCoca‐Cola,sowehavesomebarriersthere.Butincludedinmyprojectproposal,aresomewaterequipmentoptionsthatarefeasibleforWMU.Icameacrossyourwebsite,andnoticedyouarelocal,whichisgreat!WMUislikelytogiveapilottestofthemachinethatischosen.Doyouhaveacommercialsizefiltration(machine,fountain,etc.)?ThankyouTomforyourinterestandhelp!
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Sincerely,KimFromTomDuisterhof<[email protected]>SentMonday,April19,20102:27pmToKimberlyJoyShafer<[email protected]>
SubjectRe:DrinkingWaterKim‐Thankyouforcontactingus.Yes,wetoohavebeenworkingwithpersonsatWMUtoproposedrinkingwatersolutions.Wehaveworkedwithtwootherstudents,thelatestbeingChristopherCaprara.TheyhavebeenpartofthePhysicalPlantandreportingtoAnandSankey.Areyouinvolvedatthephysicalplant?DoyouknoweitherChrisorAnand?Wedoofferaverynicesolutionthatcanprovideaverygood,3rdpartytested/verified,drinkingwatersolution.Thefiltrationtechnologycanbecoupledwithabottle‐lesscoolerordirectlytoafaucetfordispensing.Letmeknowwhatyourthoughtsorneedsaremovingforward.BestRegards,TomDuisterhof
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AppendixIII:SurveyQuestions&Results
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AppendixIV:Students’BottleEvaluation
Bottle#6061Durability:Inalmosteveryattempttoseethebottle’sabilitytoremainclosedwhendropped,thecapflewoff.Itleakedconstantlyandthethreadtoholdthecaponstrippedout.Itisobviouslynotmeantforhotdrinks.ThatI’msureof.Itdidn’tkeepcolddrinkscoldeither.Itdentedeasily.Ittastedlikedrinkingoutofanaluminumcan.Cheapandsimplewithalittlebitofaestheticstakenintoaccount.Outof5,I’dgiveita1.Design:It’stoobigandhasnofeatures.Itisbasicallywhatyouthinkitisatfirstglance,ametalcontainer.Nosurprises.Ididn’tgettotryandcookwithit,butI’msureyoucouldbecausethereisnologoanditis100%steel.Themouthwasridiculous.Ispilledalot(i.e.toolarge).Theodorwasminimalandthecapwasaterribledesign.FunctionalityofLid:Asmentionedpreviously,thelidwasjunk.Itstripped,ithadnofeatures(holetosiporanattachmentforcarrying),and,evenknowingItried,I’malmostcertaintheplasticwouldbreak.
Bottle#4161Durability:Iwasoverlyclumsywiththewaterbottles;droppingitondifferentsurfaceswhenfullandwhenempty.‐Easytodentwhenwaterisinthem‐Paintstaysontheoutsidewellevenwhenwashed.‐IdrinkmorewaternowthatIcarrythisaroundwithmeDesign:‐Thesizewasagoodsize,didn’tfeelitwastoolargeortoosmall.‐Feelslightwhichisagoodthing.‐Notastedifferences.WaterstilltastedfineevenafterIleftitintherefor1or2days.FunctionalityofLid:‐Theliddidnotleakorcrackevenaftermuchabuse.ItiskindofapaintounscrewiteverytimeandscrewitbackonbutIwouldtakethatoveraleakywatercanteen.‐Justageneralnoteforstainlesssteelwaterbottlesingeneral.Extralidsshouldbemadeeasilyavailableorshouldbeattachedtotheactualbottlebecausetheybecomeveryuselessifthelidislost.AndI’vealmostlostmineacoupletimes.Ifpeoplelosethelidtheywillmostlikelyjustbuyanotherwholewaterbottlewhichisterriblycounter‐productivetotheproblemthisprogramwouldliketosolve.‐IonlyputwaterinthecanteennowthatIthinkofit.Don’tknowifIwouldputmuchelseintherebutitwouldbenicetoknowthatnoflavorisleftfromthepastliquid.
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Bottle#6061–24ozwidemouth(hasGazelleSportsprintedonit)Durability:‐Ididn’tdropmybottlebecauseIknowyouguysaren’tgoingtousethissize,andIlikethiswaterbottletoomuchtodeformit(eveninthenameofscience!).ButI’vehadnoproblemswithit;itseemsquitedurableaslongasyou’renotdroppingitforscience.‐Thepictureonthebottleisneat.It’saGazelleSportslogo,anddoesn’tscratchoffatall.Design:‐Overalldesignisperfectforme.IdrinkalotofwatersoIlikethe24ozbottlesize.Itwouldfitgreatinmywaterbottleholderonmybike,butit’smetalsoitmakesalotofnoisewhenIride.‐Themouthisbiggerthanmylastmetalwaterbottle,andittooksomegettingusedto,butIreallylikeitnow.Youcanactuallyfiticecubesinit,andit’seasiertodrinkoutof.‐TherewasanodorinthebottlewhenIfirstgotit,butIwasheditoutwithsoapandthatwentaway,sonoproblem.Nofunnytastes,andImakesuretodryitouteverynightsoitdoesn’tgetmoldyorsomething.‐Idon’tseemtohaveasmuchofaproblemwiththebottlesweatingasIhadwithpreviouswaterbottles.Definitelyaplus.FunctionalityofLid:‐ThelidworksalotbetterthanIexpected.Thethreadpatternisshort–onlyoneortwoturnstotighten–butitholdsreallywellandhasn’tleakedatall.Thereisagasketbetweenthelidandbottlewhichhelpssealit.Thehandleontopiswellsizedandsturdy.
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AppendixV:CampusDrinkingFountainEvaluationsLocation Temperature Taste Cleanliness Working
conditionsRood Cool Metal Good Inconsistentbuttons
Rood Cool Metal Good
Watersplatters,buttondifficulttopush
Rood Warm Metal Good/Old Flowofwatergood
Rood Cool Metal BrownSpotting
Waterflowpoor,notenoughtofillwaterbottle.Buttondifficulttopush
Rood Cool Metal StainlessSteeltarnished Flowispoor
Rood Cool Metal Good Flowispoor
Rood Cool Metal Good
Flowispoor,hardtomaintainwaterpressure
Rood Warm Metal GoodFlowisadequatetofillbottle
LeeHonorsCollege Cool Metal
Good.Plasticspoutskeepscorodedresiduetoaminimum Good
Chemistry Cool Metal SpoutdirtyFlowisadequatetofillbottle
Chemistry Cool Metal Spoutdirty.DraindirtyFlowisadequatetofillbottle
Chemistry Cool Metal GoodFlowistoofarandspillsontothefloor
Chemistry Cool Metal GoodFlowistoofarandspillsontothefloor
Chemistry Cool Metal GoodFlowistoofarandspillsontothefloor
Chemistry Cool Metal GoodFlowistoofarandspillsontothefloor
Knaus Cool Metal Dirty/Old.Splatterswatereverywhere.
Knaus Warm Metal Dirty/Old Flowispoor/short
Knaus Cool Metal Good/Old FlowisadequateDunbar Cool Metal Good Flowisadequate
Dunbar Cool Metal Good Flowisadequate
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Dunbar Cool Metal GoodSplatterwaterandfacegetswet
Dunbar Cool Metal Spoutdirty.Draindirty Flowispoor
Dunbar Cool Metal GoodFlowispoorandinconsistent
Dunbar Cool Metal Spoutdirty GoodDunbar Cool Metal Good Good
Dunbar Cool Metal GoodSplatterswatereverywhere.
Dunbar Cool Metal Good
Splatterswatereverywhere.Pushbuttonisdifficult
Dunbar Cool Metal GoodSplatterswatereverywhere.
AppendixVI:ThomasReich’sTestingofWaterFountains
Building Flouride (ppm)
Chloride (ppm)
Nitrate (ppm)
Phosphate (ppm)
Sulfate (ppm)
Cd (ppb)
Fe (ppb)
Ni (ppb)
Pb (ppb)
Chem 0.9774 52.08 0 0 34 3.278 208 1.863 32.32 Hadley Rm 316 0.8884 78.995 0 0.735 37.17 3.337 66.26 6.277 41.82 Fountain in Haenicki 0.9659 68.82 0 0 36.53 3.346 138.7 4.161 26.71
Rood Hall 0.9328 77.9 0 0.6961 37.63 3.119 225.3 1.98 31.8
Sangran 0.941 80.71 0 0 37.14 3.274 163 1 31.31
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AppendixVII:CostComparisonofFiltrationMachinesElkayEZH2O:ProductFeatures:
• attachestomost115V/60HzEZpushbaractivatedfountains• sanitary,no‐touch,sensoractivationwithautomatic30secondshutofftimer.• 3,000gallonfilter• silverionanti‐microbialprotection• quickfill• minimalsplash• realdrainsystemeliminatesstandingwater• visualinterfacedisplayincludes:1)Filtermonitorindicatingwhenreplacementis
necessary.2)Greentickercountingthequantityof16oz.bottlessavedfromthelandfillfornon‐refrigeratedunitsand12oz.bottlesforrefrigeratedunits.
• estimatedsinglefilterreplacement:$103EstimatedCost:$1,631.19Canney’sAquabar:GeneralSpecificationsw/EverpureFiltration:
• freestandingunit• 3temperatures• 5yearlimitedwarranty• 3/8”waterline• 120VACconnectionforchiller• filterchangedevery1,000gallon• 6monthspreventativemaintenanceschedule• 80$perfilter• Taste,odorandchlorinereduction• 99.2%reductionofparticles0.5andlarger
CostEquipment $788Delivery/Setup $125Shipping $120Filters/Labor $810Total $1,843
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Gordon’sOasis:Availablewithdrinkingfountainandbottlefiller,orstandalonebottlefiller
• Recessedwallmountedunit• Stainlesssteel• Optionalultravioletlight• Optionalgreenfilter• 8or12gallon/hourcapacity• Highinstallationcost• Replacefilterevery1,000gallons($120‐$140/filter)CostBottlefiller $2,000‐$2,800Bottlefiller&fountain $4,000‐$4,400