Announcement of first water fountain makes a splash at Courtside
By Jacqueline Alvarez
Oct. 18, 2016 9:53 p.m.
UCLA Housing will install Courtside’s first water fountain since the building was constructed in the late ’90s, after residents complained about the lack of access to drinking water.
The fountain will be built just inside the entrance tunnel of Courtside Residential Plaza, said UCLA spokesperson Rebecca Kendall in an email statement. Construction will begin this month and be finished by the end of fall quarter.
Kendall said the fountain will include a chilled water bottle filler and will cost about $3,500. She added that Courtside residents have always had access to clean tap water in their dorms, even though there isn’t a fountain outside.
[Related: Hydration project to install water-bottle refilling stations on campus]
Earlier this month, Courtside Resident Director Shalaurey Jones told students at a Courtside Resident Government Council meeting that it would take about two years for officials to build a water fountain because of the UCLA Housing approval process.
Kendall said she does not know why UCLA Housing officials decided to build the fountain now, but that they were prompted by student feedback.
Davalanya Hernandez, a first-year psychology student and Courtside resident, said she thinks it’s a hassle to walk to other places every time she needs water.
“I had to pay … $8 (for an) Uber to go to Target and purchase cases of water,” Hernandez said.
Kevin Lee, a first-year electrical engineering student and Courtside resident, said he thinks the absence of water fountains contributes to student dehydration, but he said he is glad UCLA Housing responded to students’ concerns.
“For college students, it is kind of a chore to drink water, therefore not having a water fountain makes it even more difficult to stay hydrated,” Lee said. “I’m really happy that we are finally getting a water fountain.”
Kendall said the accessibility to water fountains is as important to housing officials as it is for students.
“Drinking fountains and hydration stations have become an integral part of our campus landscape, as they encourage people to drink more water and reduce their carbon footprint by using reusable water bottles,” Kendall said.
There are more than 200 drinking fountains and hydration stations throughout UCLA’s residential community, Kendall said. Housing officials also plan to install a second water fountain in the Courtside plaza over winter break.
