Ecologue

Thank you Olivia Fidler and Holly Robinson for the update on our water filtration stations and Fresh from the Faucet organization.

Fresh From the Faucet (FFtF) is a student-led initiative on the OSU main campus focusing on increasing the use of reusable water bottles, consumption of tap water, and decreasing the use of bottled water and sugar sweetened beverages. To increase access to filtered water bottle refill stations, FFtF applied for and received a Sustainability Project Grant from the Student Sustainability Initiative to install water filtration and bottle refill stations at 10 preexisting water fountains at the OSU main campus.

FFtF is excited to have the project well underway. So far, we have completed a water audit of campus detailing what buildings have access to filtered refill stations. A map of these results is currently being created by the OSU Sustainability Office.

From this project, we have learned the importance of positive working relationships and the amount of collaboration it takes to make such a project happen. We are fortunate to have very supportive collaborators. These connections have been highly valuable and will continue to be so in the future. In addition, we learned the value of being familiar with the environment in which we were working, the OSU campus. By cataloging the locations of all water fountains on campus, we were able to better identify where new refillable water bottle stations would receive the most use.

The hope of this project was to remove barriers between people and living a sustainable lifestyle by making tap water easily accessible. Fresh From the Faucet will continue its efforts in making OSU a place of health and sustainability for all.