Lennon Krueger, h2ceo

Disclaimer: Dorm hall drinking fountains have not been checked because they are not available to all fobs. 

I have walked almost every hallway available to me on campus to determine which drinking fountains I think are the best and worst. One notable limitation of my research is the days on which the fountains have been tested. All fountains in the Music Hall, Foss Lobeck Miles Center (Foss), Lindel Library, Oren Gateway Center (OGC), Science Hall, and Sverdrup were recorded in October of last semester, and Hagfors Center, Anderson, Old Main, Christensen, Urness/Mort Lobby, Si-Melby, and related buildings were tested on March 14. Most of the fountains have been graded on the same subjective criterion: how hard or soft the water is (taste), the temperature, the flow rate, the height of the water, and sometimes whether the flow is laminar. The main drawback in my research is that I have not tested all the fountains’ water bottle fillers, but in every example I have tested, the water has been the same as the water below. With 51 fountains written about and only four of those without the ability to drink, I’d like to tell you where the best and worst fountains are.

My personal favorite fountain is on the hard-to-reach fourth floor of the Hagfors Center. With the upper fountain having “perfect hardness” and a cool temperature, its normal flow rate makes it perfect for having the best drinking fountain experience, especially after four flights of stairs. The lower part of this fountain has a water bottle filler, which, if you have the time and want to spend the effort, is where I would say is the best place on campus to fill your bottle with a drinking fountain. My second favorite spot is the 3rd floor of OGC, which had great flow, great coolness, and great taste, according to my own note-taking. Its main drawback is that there is no water bottle filler, which, for those of you who are not recreationally trying all the fountains, is certainly a deal-breaker. The two worst fountains I tried were the 46th place fountain, the lower of the two fountains in the basement of the science hall. It has bad flow, it is lukewarm, and the water itself is very hard. The other fountain in the absolute last place is located in the basement of Anderson Hall. If you have ever had the displeasure of tasting this fountain, you’ll agree that it is disgusting. Even though it has a normal flow, it assaults you with its warm and repulsive taste. 

While this research may not be helpful to you, the most applicable uses are as follows: if you are in Foss, fill your bottle downstairs; it is worth the around 20 stairs to get much better and also cooler water from that bottle filler. If you are in Hagfors, first floor go to the west wing fountains, second & third floors go to the North wing, and 4th floor to enjoy the water there. If you’re in Christensen, both fountains are going to be warm and you will suffer. If you are in the music hall, just walk over to Foss, and most importantly, if you are working out, do not use the fountain in front of the lifting room; walk down the office hallway to the one with much better and cooler water.