Ramisa Rhidi
Fatima Sanih
Mena Elkafafi
Tahsin Suba
Team Name: The Dream Team
April 02, 2019
Go Green and Drink Clean:
The Need for Additional Water Filtration Systems on the CCNY Campus
Introduction:
Water filtration refers to a system or process that is used to filter out particles and pollutants from water. In the City College of New York, only eight water filters stations have been installed. There are two in NAC building, two in Marshak, one in Steinman, one in Compton Goethals, one in Spitzer and one in Harris Hall. As depicted in Figure 1 in the appendix, when asked in a survey if the student were aware of the water filter stations, 29% of the students were unaware our school even has hydration stations. While for the students who do know about the water filter stations are forced to wait on long lines due to there being a max of two in a building, this is represented in Picture 1. This is due to the low amount of hydration stations on campus .
The students then have to resort to drinking from the water fountains which are hazardous to their health. There has been ongoing studies on the safety of U.S water fountains and authors from Pacific Institution stated, “In such cases, contamination was traced to microorganisms (viruses and bacteria) and heavy metals (e.g., lead and copper)” (Phurisamban & Gleick, 2017). After examining the water in the water fountains they discovered it contained bacteria and heavy metals that lead to viruses such as Norovirus and Rotavirus. These viruses cause inflammation of the stomach and the large intestine and causes diarrhea. The reason for these contaminated water is because of the “aging infrastructure… old lead pipes are ubiquitous in buildings built in the 1980s or earlier” (“The Truth About Public Water Fountains”, n.d). The City College of New York was founded in 1847, so we can only assume that our buildings have old lead pipes too. Water fountains and tap water are becoming hazardous to individuals health. “According to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention, more than 19 million Americans get sick every year from drinking contaminated water” (Baptiste 2017).
A solution to the contaminated water is the creation of water filters. However, CCNY needs more than eight stations on campus. It is unreasonable for a 13 floor building to only have two hydration systems. There needs to be a reasonable amount in each building. The water stations will create a solution for the the lead and bacteria contamination because water filters remove 99.3% of lead from drinking water. Water stations will also taste better than tap water. This is because “filtered water bottle filling stations are equipped with high-performance filters and cooling systems, making them capable of removing the usual culprits of unpleasant tasting water: chlorine and particulate” (Zoundi 2017). Water stations will also reduce waste since the “stations serve as an alternative to plastic water bottles through encouraging the use of tap water and making safe, healthy water free and accessible” (Zoundi 2017). As represented in Figure 3 in the appendix, when asked in the survey if the students believe in the needs for more hydration stations , 63% of the students strongly agreed while the other 37% either somewhat agreed or simply agreed.
Filtered water bottle filling stations create safe, clean and accessible water and gives students the ability to hydrate more often. We must raise awareness among other CCNY students about the harmful effects of tap water and the necessity of more water filtration systems. Then we must initiate the installation of the water filtration systems and prioritize the installation according to the needs of the students. Finally, we must remind the students to use the facilities given by their college.
Action Plan
Possible solutions to the lack of water filtration system on the CCNY campus:
Step 1: Raise awareness among other CCNY students about the harmful effect of tap water in human body and the necessity of more water filtration systems
According to the result of the survey, 62% students agreed that it is highly necessary to have more hygienic and filtered water stations around the college campus. And 29% students aren’t aware of the filtered water stations that are available on campus. However, this survey only represented a small group of people but it is important to inform all other students about this issue. This awareness can be spread by approaching different student clubs, who can arrange club meetings where they can let other students know about the need of more filtered water stations for a better and healthy life. They can arrange fun activities and free food to grab more student’s attention.
Step 2: Initiating the installation of water filtration systems on the campus
The survey can be extended to include a large number of people and their responses can be recorded. The result of the survey can be reported to The Office of Facilities Management in CCNY with a request letter written on behalf of all CCNY students to install more water filtration systems on the campus.
Step 3: Prioritize the installation of water filtration system according to the need of students
Figure 3: Red dots showing the places for filtered water station installations in the lobby of NAC building.
On the CCNY campus, there are some selective places which are always crowded with people no matter what time of day it is, such as the lobby in the NAC building (Figure 3), cafeteria, and the library. It is extremely important to give priority to these busy places for the installation of water filtration systems. Three water filtration stations can be placed in the active areas of the campus and two can be placed on each floor of all the buildings. Altogether, it is not going to take more than six months if 10 installations are done every month.
Step 4: Remind students to use the facilities given by their college
Students can be encouraged to use the improved water facilities given by their college by placing small direction signs that says “Filtered Water Station” on the campus to guide them towards the filtration stations. Moreover, taglines placed around the campus can be very effective, for example, reminders such as “Go Green and Drink Clean”, “Improve your water, improve your life”. Many clubs on campus would be open to volunteer to create these taglines, so there’s no need of extra budget for this project.
Project Budget and Benefits:
Taking consideration of cost, purchasing a Haws 2000SMS water hydration is 1,800 dollars each. To install this water filtration you first have to place it near water pipes and connect it towards the water hydration. This cause of action is done by hiring a plumber he connects the pipes and installs the water filter against the wall. This process would take about one to two days therefore, it would round up that cost around 450 dollars. After the plumber’s work is done all you need turn on the filter to drink filtered water. To repeat this process and install about 60 Haws water hydration stations it would cost about 135,000 dollars.
Based on budget, the project is very cost effective however, it is very beneficial to the human body. A few ways to gain money for this projects are:
| Raising fundraisers | Sell thermal bottles |
| Bake sales | Sell sponsorships |
| Prepare a motivational speech | Start a blog and promote donations |
| Completing paid surveys online | Promote a club |
This project is very beneficial because as humans we drink about two liters of water each day. Without clean water we wouldn’t know how to live health. A few ways to explain why clean water is beneficial are:
| Delivers oxygen throughout the body | Maintains blood pressure |
| Boosts skin health and exercise performance | Prevents kidney damage |
| Cushions the brain, spinal cord etc. | Promotes weight loss |
| Regulates body temperature | Improves the immune system |
| Stronger digestive system | Save money |
Therefore, clean water is very important to the human nature. Even though the project is very cost effective, towards the end of the day the campus would be helping us have a healthier living experience.
Experience
Her name is Fatima Sanih. She is a second semester freshman at the City College of New York located in NYC, NY. She is studying to obtain a bachelors in computer engineering. She graduated from Brooklyn Studio Secondary School located in Brooklyn, NY. She was part of the graduating class of 2018 and graduated with a 4.0 gpa. She was a member of the National Honors Society and Arista Honors Society. She worked in P.S 247 located in Brooklyn, NY as an after school group leader for an organization called NIA, Neighborhood Improvement Association since 2016. She established and enforced rules for behavior and procedure for maintain order among a class of 20 students. Before NIA, she worked as a Tutor in the Muslim American Society Youth Center located Brooklyn, NY where she assisted students of all skill levels in math. She is hardworking, responsible and assertive. She has leadership skills and Time-management skills. She is interested in photography and giving back to the community through volunteer work.
Her name is Mena Elkafafi. She is a freshman in her second semester at the City College of New York located in 160 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031. She is studying to achieve a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She graduated from Port Richmond High School located in 85 St Josephs Ave, Staten Island, NY 10302. She graduated with a 4.0 gpa in June 2018. She was a member of the National Honor Society and the ACE (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering) Mentorship Program. She participated in the ACE program for three years and gained the knowledge of knowing to major in civil engineering. She participated in the STEM program at Cooper Union and built a remote control car and programmed it to start. She worked as summer consular in IS-7 located in 1270 Huguenot Ave, Staten Island, NY 10312. She currently works at a retail store called JcPenney located in 140 Marsh Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314 and has managed patience skills, time management, working under pressure, and communication skills. She obtained leadership skills and adult responsibility. She is interested in traveling around the world and obtaining a well education.
Her name is Tahsin Suba. She is a first semester sophomore at the City College of New York located in NYC, NY. She is studying to obtain a bachelors in chemical engineering. She is an international student and came to the United States one year ago to complete her higher education. She has completed her A levels from British Council located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. She obtained one nation award (The Daily Star Award) and one international award (Edexcel High Achievers Award) for her good A level results. She worked as an assistant teacher at The Sylhet International School and College which is located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. She taught mathematics and science classes to grade 7 students and helped them to prepare for their board exam. She has 6 months working experience at chemistry and chemical engineering lab where she handled complicated equipment and performed many experiments. She has teamwork skills and time-management skills. She is hardworking, responsible, and punctual. She is interested in travelling around the world.
Her name is Ramisa Rhidi. She is a second semester freshman at the City College of New York, located in New York, New York. She graduated from The Beacon School located at 522 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036. She was a part of the 2018 graduating class. She is currently studying and pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering. She volunteered at the Parkchester New York Public Library from September 2016 to October 2017. As a volunteer, she assisted visitors with computer work and organized books. She currently works at Synergy Prep., located in Bronx, New York, as the Common Core Manager. She can manage a business, direct instructors into their roles, and create new content for students to use and learn. She is skilled in Microsoft Office 365 including programs such as Excel and Microsoft Word. She’s punctual, honest, respectful, and able to work under pressure. She is interested in fitness and fashion.
Conclusion
Clean water is essential for everyone. The City College of New York has an undergraduate enrollment alone of approximately 13,600 students. Throughout the 35 acre campus, the school only has eight water filter stations. Water filters are critical to the college to prevent students from the harm of bacterias from normal water fountains. The plan to execute and install more filters include making students aware of the issue of the school’s lack in water filters. The new filter systems should be located in populated locations on the campus such as the North Academic Center lobby and the cafeteria. The ambitious move to install about 10 water filters per month over a period of six months will ensure the campus has enough clean water sources for all of its students. Though these filters are pricey, there are various ways to raise the money to install them. Methods include fundraisers, bake sales, club meets, etc. Such efforts are critical to the installation of the filters and more importantly, the students well being.
References
Baptiste, N. (2017, June 23). Millions of Americans are drinking contaminated water-and don’t even know it. Retrieved from https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/05/millions-drinking-contaminated-water/
Build.com. Home Improvement Retailer. Retrieved form https://www.build.com/haws-2000sms/s1429835?uid=3379414&source=gg-gba-pla_3379414!c1709211079!a66228121665!dc!ng&gclid=CjwKCAjwp_zkBRBBEiwAndwD9T0jtHoTLycOfyQ_ZO1_u0VIVrNVHnf85NVq6qp_snYe0F5EbInDQxoCog8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
McIntosh, James. (2018, July 16). Fifteen Benefits of Drinking Water. MedicalNewsToday. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290814.php
Phon, Abby. (2019, March 29). 10 Reasons Why You Should Drink More Water. Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/eating-walnuts-changes-genes-to-help-fight-breast-cancer
Phurisamban, R., & Gleick, P. (2017, February). Drinking Fountains and Public Health Improving National Water Infrastructure to Rebuild Trust and Ensure Access. Retrieved from https://pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Drinking_Fountains_and_Public_Health_Feb_2017-1.pdf
The Truth About Public Water Fountains. (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.aquasana.com/info/news/the-truth-about-public-water-fountains
Zoundi, I. (2017, November 02). 5 Reasons Your School Needs a Water Bottle Filling Station. Retrieved from https://becausewater.com/5-reasons-school-needs-water-bottle-filling-station/
Appendix
Figure 1: Result from the survey asking if students were aware of water filter stations on campus.
Figure 2: Results from the survey asking if students agree with the statement: CCNY needs more hydration stations.
