Etak Martin

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Acadia watches the water

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

There are 22 water fountains on Acadia University’s campus, but some don’t work, some are mildewed and others were not being cleaned.

Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) project manager David Paterson says an audit last year made a difference. Physical plant has agreed to fix things up. The Back to the Tap project spokesman calls the response really great - but he isn’t finished yet.

Paterson is not alone in wanting to see more water fountains at Acadia than the lone one in the Beveridge Arts Centre and the single reliable one at the arena. The third-year business student would like to have one in every major building – as many as 32 new fountains.

The project is a joint venture with Water Watch Acadia to eliminate the sale of bottled water at Acadia. The team has also partnered with the Ivan Curry School of Engineering to design and build a prototype for a carbon-filtered water bottle refill station. Once the prototype has been tested, SIFE Acadia hopes to build and install 32 fountains between May and September.

Paterson says the prototypes should be ready soon, and testing will take place in two locations: the Irving Centre and the School of Divinity. He plans to collect commercial sponsorships to pay for the fountains.

“This project never would have launched had it not been for the vision of Peter Romkey, the director of the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre, and without the support of Acadia University,” says Paterson.

“Our small school setting has empowered SIFE to instill real change at Acadia University - something we feel could not have been possible at a larger institution.”

Paterson has learned about co-ordinating a project, dealing with red tape and hands-on entrepreneurship. So much so, he now envisions small business potential in bringing the Acadia prototype to other campuses.

“There simply aren’t enough. Canadian students are demanding more water fountains.”

Since 2005, the Polaris Institute has worked with students at Canadian universities to raise awareness about the impacts of bottled water use. A major concern raised by students is the lack of water fountains in university buildings, and the pervasiveness of bottled water.

A Polaris report shows a disturbing trend toward some institutions decommissioning water fountains in older buildings and excluding water fountains in new buildings. The report recommended university and government regulators help increase access to publicly-delivered tap water at academic institutions.

In March 2009, the University of Winnipeg became the first university in Canada to ban the purchase and sale of bottled water on campus, a direct result of student advocacy and action. The university plans to add more fountains and bottle re-fill stations. Thirty-two other institutions across the country have bottled water-free zones on campus.

Water winners

Acadia University’s “Students In Free Enterprise” (SIFE) team has been named the SIFE Green Challenge Regional Champion by national charitable organization Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE).

All Atlantic-based SIFE teams were judged by live panels of business professionals and regional champions were announced Feb. 26 in Halifax at the 2010 ACE Atlantic Regional Exposition.

The SIFE Acadia team stood out because of its dedication to providing access to clean public drinking water on campus.

The goal of the annual challenge is for SIFE teams to provide others with the knowledge to make positive environmental decisions - in their personal and professional lives.

The Acadia team moves on to the national competition in Calgary on May 11.

“SIFE Acadia is taking on a leadership role with eliminating wasteful water bottles on their campus. For this reason, they have been named a regional champion,” says ACE president Amy Harder.

I’m just so proud of my little entrepreneur!