Have you ever been thirsty in class and needed a drink of water? So, you raised your hand and took the pass to go get a drink.  Unfortunately, you walked the hallways throughout Peekskill High School, however were unable to locate a water fountain that worked or was clean enough to drink out of.  Peekskill High School has about 9 water fountains throughout the building.  The problem is that out of the 9 water fountains, only 3 work! One of the three water fountains is located in the cafeteria, which is locked the majority of the day.  This leaves only two water fountains for students to use in the building when they are thirsty.  One of those water fountains is located on the second floor by the weight room and the other one is located by the auditorium.

We asked several PHS students and staff about the water fountain situation and their thoughts.  Ms. Conner, a PHS Teacher, said “it must be frustrating for students.”  Nikeji B. said “it is very upsetting.”  Ms. Robinson believes that the water fountains should be working because it allows students to stay hydrated.”  Brooke mentioned, “it is very inadequate.”  Afua stated, “the water fountains are not up to current standards.”  Mika stated, “the water fountains are unsanitary and always have gum and trash in them.  That’s why I do not use the water fountains here and bring bottles of water from home.”  Elijah said, “the water is crappy and has a weird taste to it.  It tastes like copper.”  Joseph stated, “I can only use the water fountains once in a while because they are filled with gum and wrappers and looks like people spit in them.  Occasionally, it has a bottle in them.”  Selina mentioned, “the water fountains are from when the school was originally built and have not been replaced.  I only drink filtered water and they do not have that here.”

Water is essential element of good health.  According to MayoClinic.org, 60% of the human body consists of water.  Drinking water keeps you hydrated and flushes out toxins from your body.  Lack of water can lead to dehydration, lightheadedness, and headaches.  According to MayClinic.org, the average person should drink 9 cups of water a day, instead of the conventional 8 cups of water that many of us were told to consume.  Therefore, it is essential for people to drink water consistently throughout the day.

When we asked about what the School could do to solve this problem, Selina stated, “we need more water fountains like the new filtered water fountain that we have in the cafeteria.  It is cleaner, more appealing and has an automatic bottle filler that counts how many bottles we have saved from being thrown in the trash or recycling bin.”  Joseph stated, “we need cleaner water fountains and then people might use them.”  Mika said, “we should have vending machines that sell water and healthy options like we had in the Middle School.”  Elijah added, “the district needs to replace the pipes in water fountains because that’s what adds to the funky taste.”

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