By Mike Hutchens, Union City Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Students and faculty in the Union City School System did their part to wash away some of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that affected the 2020-21 school year.
The installation of refill stations to replace traditional water fountains on all three UC campuses prior to the beginning of last year brought about savings of over 60,000 bottles through extensive usage.
Ten motion-sensitive Elkay filtered water dispensers were installed at Union City Schools in response to the coronavirus outbreak and safety/health protocols last August. Students were given refillable water bottles at the start of the year and again later and encouraged to use the stations both at the beginning of the day and around lunchtime.
Each machine features a “counter,” allowing school personnel to monitor how many bottles of water have been consumed. Not having to dispose of nor recycle used bottles has also been a benefit of the dispensers.
UC Elementary School Vice Principal Thel Taylor has long been a proponent of the dispensers and said their advantages are multiple.
“We’d discussed the benefits of installing the refill stations system-wide before the pandemic,” said Taylor, who noted more than 31,600 bottles were filled by students and staff at his school during the 2020-21 calendar. “Not only did the change help us with any disposal issue with the bottles we might’ve had, but there were the obvious health benefits of encouraging our students to drink more water.
“Water hydrates the brain, and many of our students were getting as many as three bottles a day. Instead of just getting a sip or two at a water fountain, they were getting full bottles – sometimes two or three each day. Teachers were encouraging them and started each day by allowing them the opportunity to fill their bottles.
“And it was less disruptive to class time to let them fill up their bottles at the start of the day, then again either before or after lunch.”
Taylor said the dispensers came with little to no maintenance other than changing the filters.
There are four stations at UCES and three each at UC Middle School and UCHS.
Photo: Elementary School Vice Principal Thel Taylor at one of the stations. Mike Hutchens photo.