DAVID COOK / ASST. NEWS EDITOR

At   the  University of   San Diego, red-lit water refill stations and long walks to filtered water machines have left Toreros out to dry. Across campus, students can find various  types of  refill stations. However, the reliability  of  some stations has caught the attention of students as they encounter machines marked by warning or those that have been taken out of service.

In buildings  like Camino Hall, refill stations have sat with red lights glowing, a sign that the filters need to be replaced. Camino Hall is the  home  of  the  College of Arts and Sciences at USD, and houses over 100 first-years.

USD senior Burke Mansour shared his experience in the building. Mansour stated that the building’s filter has been experiencing consistent problems.

 “As a comm major, I have spent a lot of time in Camino over the years, and the water fountain is always red,” Mansour said. “It’s deterred me from getting water at times. It would be nice to know for certain that I have filtered water outside my classes whenever I need.”

 He added that larger refill machines like those in La Paloma and the Student Life Pavilion work better, but they are not always convenient.

“The bigger machines on campus are nice, but having to go to La Paloma or to the SLP to get a clean  and  cold sip of water shouldn’t be the standard,” Mansour said. 

While  Camino  highlights  issues   in  one   of   USD’s  most central   academic   buildings,  similar frustrations extend to student housing,  particularly in  the Valley. 

USD first-year Taylor  Allen told her experience  as a  resident of Valley B.

“I don’t think [getting water] is the most convenient thing considering you have to leave your building completely to get access to water,” Allen said. “You can get water from crossroads, in the laundry room or outside of crossroads or in Bosley… but can’t in my dorm.”

Mansour recalled back to his time as a first-year living in the Valley. 

“I  think  the water [at USD] has kind of been a disaster since I’ve attended the school,” Mansour said. “I remember being [in the Valley] and it being so hard to come by.”

Allen acknowledged the difficulties  that first-year students in   staying  hydrated. 

“I  typically go to  the  laundry  room.  I’ve heard from everyone that the laundry room has the best water,” Allen said. 

University officials say that systems are in place to maintain refill stations. Facilities Management (FM) said it is notified through work orders when a station or filter needs service and typically addresses them within one to two weeks. In some cases, older stations may be shut down if newer ones are installed nearby. 

“If   a station needs repair, the FM Department will repair it as soon as possible,” Facilities Management said. “If the station requires parts or other  equipment, a   repair  may  not occur right away. A  station may be taken out of service when parts or other equipment for it are no longer available for repair.”

Officials also pointed to recent upgrades. The Palomar Health Student Wellness Center, Knauss School of Business and Learning Commons were all built with new water stations. In April, a new filling station was installed in front of Mata’yuum Crossroads.

Students, though, have said that the addition of the new filling station has not entirely solved the problem.

“I have used  [the blue fountain outside Mata’yuum Crossroads] before and it kind of tends to be a little take longer to fill and it’s not very cold,” Allen continued. “I think it would be really nice if they were able to add water fountains or something of the sorts, at least in one floor of like the Valley B buildings, and make sure that all students [in Valley B] have access to it.” 

Whether it is a red light in Camino, a broken station in The Valley or a long walk to find clean water, many say that the University’s standard has not met their expectations. Despite this, new facilities and upgraded stations may offer some signs that improvements are possible.

The water filter turned red once again in Camino Hall this week. Lauren Ceballos/The USD Vista