SFUSD installs bottle fillers; reduces plastic bottle waste

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Columbus, Ohio — Schools in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) are participating in a pilot program to encourage students to drink more tap water and provide an alternative to single-use plastic water bottles. SFUSD is working in partnership with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, to install new bottle filling stations throughout the school district. This program corresponds with a new city ordinance requiring new and remodeled buildings with drinking fountains to provide bottle filling stations.

SFUSD is in the process of installing 36 new bottle filling stations this year, with several already installed at schools participating in the pilot program. In response to reduce costs and waste of single-serving water bottles, the school looked into various solutions for dispensing tap water. Simple, quick installation and ease-of-use were considered a priority and after a thorough review of various water dispensing solutions, the OASIS Aqua Pointe brand was selected.

OASIS Aqua Pointe Bottle Filler model MWSBF, the bottle filler being installed in the district, provides an easy way for schools to increase their sustainability, decrease expenses and provide access to safe, filtered drinking water. “Since the installation of the OASIS water bottle filling station, there’s been a 75% decline of plastic water bottles at our school,” states Andrew Poon, of Sutro Elementary School. “It’s easy to use too. We provided free water bottles to our students to encourage the use of the bottle filler, and it’s been a real hit.”

Sharon Trieu of San Francisco International High School stated the installation was quick and simple and is now the principal’s favorite part of the school’s renovation project. The bottle filling station located near the cafeteria provides students easy access to refill reusable bottles throughout the day.

The installation of bottle filling stations in schools will allow students to easily fill cups and reusable containers with free tap water and significantly reduce the number of disposable beverage containers entering the waste stream.

About the OASIS Aqua Pointe Bottle Filler

Bottle filling station allows users to enjoy the benefits of great-tasting water without the waste and cost associated with bottled water; every bottle refilled, results in one less disposable bottle being thrown away.
• Unit can be installed over existing rough-in locations as a surface mount or wall mount installation.
• Optional water filter system is tested and certified by NSF Standard 42 for the reduction of chlorine (taste and odor) and Standard 53 for the reduction of lead and cysts.
• The push-button, mechanically-activated model is the greenest of all bottle fillers, requiring no electricity to operate. It’s an ideal solution for schools utilized as emergency evacuation centers.
• New electric-eye, hands-free activated units include a bottle counter indicating the number of bottles reused, along with a filter status light to indicate when the filter needs changed.

For more info, www.oasiscoolers.com.

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