The Water Motion - School Project Proposal

The WATER Motion A

Water

Bottle

Dispenser

Proposal

SUS100 Fundamentals of Sustainable Design Instructor: Darinka Aguirre

Project

Alexandra Kirillova Maria Alleanna Barrera Weilu Sang Durjaya Sharma

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians could be consuming tap water laced with high levels of lead leaching from ageing infrastructure and plumbing - GLOBAL NEWS

HELLO Introduction

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ccording to a recent report by Global News “Hundreds of thousands of Canadians could be consuming tap water laced with high levels of lead leaching from ageing infrastructure and plumbing” [Global News, 2019]. To be more focal on BC, the government of British Columbia came out with a statement explaining that even though tap water is filtered is BC, there have been multiple cases of water-borne disease from pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and chemicals contaminating the water supply through animal waste or human sewage [gov.bc].

At LaSalle college students are only provided with one single water “dispensary” on the ground floor which is unfiltered, running straight from the pipes to the digestive systems of students and faculty.

The solution to this problem would be for Lasalle to install filtered water drinking stations that are also equipped to be able to refill bottles.

Throughout this proposal we will go more in-depth on the situation and why it is a hazard not only towards our institution but towards our environment as well. Furthermore, our survey results will be provided in order to better illustrate our points and the solution we have come up with. Towards the end of the proposal, we will present any challenges and difficulties that may arise from our project as well as the solutions to the challenges and why this proposal would be an investment to our institution.

OUR Motivation

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ccording to our fellow senior students and those that have recently graduated we have come to know that LaSalle has never had a properly filtered water station on campus.

Some of you may be wondering why out of all other issues that Lasalle may have we decided to tackle this particular one, to put it simply it is because as human beings we need water to survive. About sixty percent of the adult human body is made up of water, and according to Healthline, we need to drink about two litres of water a day. Students spend most of their day on campus and as we can see from the following question from our survey:

Do you think having a water bottle dispenser would help you drink more?

YES  68.9%

SUS100 Fundamentals of Sustainable Design

MAYBE 27.9%

NO 3.2%

If a proper water dispensary were to be installed students would drink more water while on campus. However, this is not the only issue that would be solved by installing a filtered water dispensary. This would also greatly lower the risk of the spread of germs, viruses and so forth.

An article by ABC news stated based on a school science experiment that there are more bacteria found on water fountains than bathroom toilets [ABCnews, 2009]. We have quite a few numbers of students that use the water fountain to drink from and to refill their water bottles, as shown by the following graphs:

Do you use the current water fountains on campus?

YES  42.6%

NO SOMETIMES   29.5% 27.9%

How often do you refill your water bottle?

ONCE A DAY  29.5%

MORE THAN ONCE A DAY  44.3%

NEVER  23%

OTHER  3.2%

The multiple health risks that come with using a water fountain are immeasurable, installing a filtered water dispenser would reduce the risk of students and faculty from getting sick as they would simply refile their bottle eliminating the need for and physical to close contact with the dispenser itself. Not only would we benefit from this but the environment would benefit as well as students would turn from buying plastic bottled water to free filtered water.

In general, this project will make sure that the drinkable water facilities on campus are clean, free of bacteria and viruses, is drinkable and finally helpful towards protecting our environment. The following section of our proposal will show our complete finds from our survey.

INFOGRAPHIC THE RESPONSES FROM THE STUDENTS AND STAFF OF LASALLE COLLEGE VANCOUVER ON THE CURRENT WATER FOUNTAIN SITUATION

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PROJECT Details

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aturally, every project will have its challenges.

One challenging issue during the implementation will be the space needed for the water dispenser.

The size of the water dispenser could be more extensive in height and width than the present water fountain on campus; therefore, it might need more space on the wall for installation. Another challenge this project could face is the water dispenser installation in the student lounge. Since there are no present water fountains that could easily replace, more workforce is needed to add a water pipeline in the student lounge (if there is not one existing already.) The student lounge installation could take more time to finish than the upstairs and front entrance upgrades. The student lounge also could be half in-accessible due to adding a pipeline and installing the dispenser.

However, this project brings in unique values that will sure to win the population over. First, the water refill dispenser is energy-friendly. Not only does it save energy by having a scheduled time for shut off, but also it uses LED lights in the machine. However, if LaSalle would like to save on more energy, there are non-electrical water refill dispensers that do not require electricity at all as an alternate option. Equally important, there will be a water filter for clean, healthy water, unlike the water fountains today that runs only through a pipe. Lastly, the installation of these water dispensers is easy. It is just one hook-up, not two or three. They also come in one box, not several.

This project will produce a favourable report to help support better decisions. The benefits of drinking more water relieve fatigue, improve mood, improve brain function, and many more.

Switching to water refill dispensers will increase the students and staff to drink more water. Therefore, this project will contribute to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

In addition to promoting healthy living, the water refill dispenser project encourages sustainability as well. One of Canada’s current problems is that tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans, which harms and kills marine life. In current situations, having non-ergonomic water fountain refill spouts and purchasing bottles of water in the student as the options in getting water will not help to decrease plastic footprint.

Single Water Bottle Refilling Station Elkay EZSDWSLK EZH20 Non-Refrigerated

There are costs to this project. Each water bottle refill dispenser costs between CAD 913 to CAD 3,000. The proposed number of stations that will be replacing the water fountains is two (in the east and west side of the second floor.) As well as installing electrical outlets to these stations as they require electricity to operate. And one new installment in the student lounge. There are costs as well for labour, especially for the student lounge. Cost of installation varies from - CAD 500 to CAD 1,500. Filter is an additional cost as well; it ranges from CAD 75 to CAD 115. If a single station and installation is about CAD 2,500, the total cost of three stations with installment will be about CAD 7,500.

Replacement Filter Cartridge Elkay & Halsey Taylor 1500 Gallon, 51299C

SUS100 Fundamentals of Sustainable Design

TIME Line

Assuming the proposal is approved, the dispensers are bought, shipped, and arrived at the school, the removal of the other water fountains (both upstairs and downstairs) and its wall restoration will take one week. Then, the removal of the upstairs east and west water fountain and the installation of the new water dispenser will take one week. Moving to the downstairs, creating a water pipeline flow, and the installation of the water dispenser in the student lounge will take around a week or two. Overall, the completion of this project will take just over a month.

DID YOU KNOW

WATER DRINKING FOUNTAINS HARBOR COLD AND FLU VIRUSES?

POSTER STUDENTS DEMAND TO SWITCH TO A BACTERIA-FREE SOLUTION! CLEAN WATER CERTIFIED FILTERS PUTTING CLEANER, HEALTHIER WATER.

MAKING DRINKING WATER SAFE

REDUCING WATER BOTTLES WITH A GRAPHIC DISPLAY, IT INFORMS THE USER HOW MANY PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES ARE SAVED FROM WASTE.

HANDS-FREE

A TOUCHLESS SENSOR, DESIGNED FOR EASY USE. NO NEED TO HOLD THE BOTTLE, JUST PLACE AND FILL!

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

SANITARY

NO MORE MOUTH THE SPOUT CONTACT! LESS LIKELY TO SPREAD COLDS AND VIRUSES. KEY PLASTIC COMPONENTS OF THE UNIT ALSO HAVE SILVER ION ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION.

INCLUDES PROGRAMMED TIME TO LOWER ENERGY USE AND BILLS! USES LED LIGHT FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENCY.

THIS MESSAGE IS APPROVED BY THE STUDENTS AT

TO MARKET A CHANGE ON REPLACING THE OLD WATER FOUNTAIN TO BETTER, BACTERIA-FREE WATER REFILL DISPENSERS ON CAMPUS

VERDICT Conclusion

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ater is essential, and the state of our health depends on its quality. According to the survey, the proposed Water Bottle Dispenser will solve the problems of staff’s and students’ frustrations on refilling water bottles, sanitation, and water quality. Moreover, drinking more water will encourage the practice of being sustainable and healthy habits. These Dispenser Stations will provide not only the quality hydration but also will show the high standards of an educational environment at LaSalle College Vancouver.

SUS100 Fundamentals of Sustainable Design

References Bartlett, Matthew. “Dangers of Drinking Unfiltered Water.” Waterways, 7 Mar. 2017, waterwaysproducts.com.au/2017/03/dangers-drinkingunfiltered-water/.

Ministry of Health. “Drinking Water Quality.” Province of British Columbia, Province of British Columbia, 29 June 2016, www2.gov. bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/water-quality/ drinking-water-quality.

Gunnars, Kris. “How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 20 June 2018, www.healthline.com/ nutrition/how-much-water-should-you-drink-per-day.

“More Germs on Water Fountain or in Toilet Water?” ABC News, ABC News Network, 7 Jan. 2009, abcnews.go.com/GMA/ story?id=3293080&page=1.

THANK You THIS MESSAGE IS APPROVED

BY THE STUDENTS AT