Grant & Gift Allow for Filtered Tap Water at HHS
Thousands of gallons of fresh, clean water have already flowed through two new water fountain filtration systems at Huntington High School.
The Huntington Foundation for Excellence in Education funded one filtration system that was installed in the late summer in the school cafeteria. A gift from the Class of 2013 paid for a second system that was recently placed in the lobby of Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
A Huntington Foundation Star grant application was submitted by high school science teacher Craig McKee. HFEE approved it in full, donating $1,947.56 to the district for an Elkay water bottle filling station, which replaced a traditional water fountain in the student cafeteria.
To support the application, Mr. McKee submitted various studies and white papers that show “drinking water improves grades” and “nutrition and hydration boost learning.” Alvin White, the district’s director of facilities, ordered the new system and buildings and grounds staff members installed it. The grant also covered a year’s worth of water filters.
“The purposed of the Star grant [program] is to fuel grade-wide, department-wide and school-wide initiatives that have a broad impact on the students,” according to the application. “Star grants exceed $1,000 and have been as high as $12,925.”
During last June’s commencement, Huntington’s Class of 2013 President Stephanie Rafuse announced that the graduating class would be giving a water filtration system as their gift to the school. That system has already displaced thousands of plastic bottles, which could very well have ended up in landfills or burned in incinerators. Instead, students and staff were able to save money and have access to clean, filtered water for free.
Hydration systems are becoming increasingly popular on high school and college campuses and in public buildings and parks. They allow for the filling of water bottles with filtered tap water and thereby discourage the purchase of water in plastic bottles. Hundreds of colleges have already installed refilling stations. The specially designed devices make it easy to refill a bottle without have to tip it as was previously required at regular water foundations.
Before and after a recent basketball game, players could be seen filling their water bottles at the station just outside the gym doors. Fans also sipped water from the fountain and were quite pleased with the taste.
Disposable water bottles concern those committed to keeping the environment clean. Despite New York’s deposit law covering many of the bottles, they all too frequently seem to end up littering parking lots, roadsides and other areas or are thrown out.
Huntington High School’s Science Honor Society chapter has promoted recycling and alternatives to disposable bottles. The refilling stations funded by the Huntington Foundation and the Class of 2013 are seen as major steps in the “right” direction by environmentalists at the school.
“Part of the AP Environmental Science class is to understand that changes can be made that will help the planet,” states the application submitted by Mr. McKee. “This project will be used as a research activity for the class.”