Water accounts for over 55 percent of the adult human body and is essential for performance of all bodily functions.

I [Heart] Water, a collaborative campaign between the Student Activities Board and Campus Health Educators implemented Truax’s first EZ H2O hydration station this October. The station allows students and staff to fill up their water bottles with cold water in seconds.

“I love it. It’s faster and it’s cold. We’re all excited about it in the Enrollment Center,” said Heather Hornback, an employee and student at Madison College.

The EZ H2O is an eco-friendly way to reuse plastic water bottles and promotes health through hydration. The EZ H2O station has a digital counter that counts how many 20 oz bottles are saved by utilizing the station

The fountain’s counter resets to 0 after it reaches 999,999,999 recycled bottles.

“A lot of people don’t realize that they’re dehydrated. Most Americans are dehydrated and it’s becoming this hidden epidemic,” said Lisa Lanting, Health and Wellness Planner at Madison College.

“A lot of people have heard the 8 to 10 glasses. But a lot of sports medicine nutritionists and educators like using the rule of thumb that you take your body weight in pounds and divide it in half, and that’s about the amount of ounces you should drink,” said Anna Marie Hoffmann, Health Educator at Madison College.

“A lot of times people mistake thirst for hunger, so if you feel hungry, your body actually might be thirsty,” said Lanting.

“Everybody’s individual needs vary, and it’s really important not to drink [the daily recommended amount] at once,” said Hoffmann.

Though it may be difficult to estimate daily water intake, Lanting provides a few ideas. She suggests drinking water before consuming meals.

“I know a lot of people are trying to loose weight or maintain weight. You should carry around a water bottle with you, fill it up as much as you can. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water first and then see if you’re really hungry. Before every meal, drink a glass of water because this will help curb your appetite and actually eventually help you lose weight and maintain weight, and diet sodas do not,” said Lanting.

“If you’re hungry and you drink a soda, your body thinks it’s getting something and so then it will secrete insulin,” said Hoffmann. “Many are sipping it through all their classes. There are more denture fittings for young people than ever before,” said Hoffmann.

All regional campuses house these stations and more will be installed as the regular fountains need replacement. So far Truax is the only Madison campus with the EZ H2O installed.

The one drawback with the new system is that it does not purify water. It’s the same quality of water as the public bubblers and tap water. It cost approximately $200 per unit a year to maintain support for fountains with water filters.

“Your body needs electrolytes. I love this. I liked coming here because of the filter but now I’m disappointed [to learn that it’s not filtered]. People would like it to be filtered,” said Miguel Hernandez, Madison College student.

“We are hoping that we can get support for having filters put in so that all of these machines will have super-clean, filtered water,” said Lanting.

The Student Activities Board and Campus Health Educators are exploring initiatives for rewarding those on campus that use the new system.