When Nathaniel Bekaert, a student in Mt. Shasta High School’s leadership class, asked W.A.T.E.R. for help in funding water bottle refill stations for Mt. Shasta High School, W.A.T.E.R. said YES!

W.A.T.E.R. is funding the purchase and installation of a combined drinking fountain/water bottle refill station for the school’s main lobby, where students, visitors, and athletes from events in the nearby gym will be able to refill their own reusable water bottles. The unit is ADA compliant, will filter out unpleasant contaminants, and will replace an existing drinking fountain that does not have a bottle refill function.

Mt. Shasta High School student Nathaniel Bekeart holds the envelope with a $3,000 check
from W.A.T.E.R. for a water bottle refill station/drinking fountain for the school.

Nathaniel noted that the American Journal of Public Health has reported that “54.5% of children go to school dehydrated in the US, which can affect their visual attention and fine motor skills.” Thus the bottle refill function will help students to maintain proper hydration by encouraging them to carry their own reusable water bottles and thus provide access to water throughout the day.

The schools main lobby also serves as the main lobby for the gym, thus the unit will provide easy access for athletes to refill their water bottles. As Nathaniel explained in his request letter, “Many of my friends who play indoor sports such as basketball have complained and heard athletes from other schools complain about the absence of water bottle filling stations at MSHS. Hydration is especially key for athletes and an accessible place for them to fill up their bottles before/during games and practices is important for their health.”

In addition, some students, parents, and community members have noted that the existing drinking fountain does not reliably produce clean-tasting water (although the school’s water meets state standards for drinking quality). The new unit will have a filtering system that can eliminate unpleasant odors and tastes should they arise.

All the while, plastic waste from commercial single-use bottled water will be reduced. It’s a winning contribution to solving plastic pollution problems!

Congratulations to the MSHS Graduating Class of 2022.  GO BEARS!