Shipping water to college dorm?

[Starwind]

When i started university over two decades ago i bought myself a brita filter and kept it in the small fridge in my room.

Brita, Pur and other companies now make nice-shaped and various-sized filters that fit well in small fridges. Inexpensive, work well, and when the container is inevitably dropped hard on the ground and shatters (yep, BTDT) it is easily replaced After the water is cleaned up, of course

And there are tonnes of water bottles to chose from for taking the water to class -- glass, plastic, stainless steel, etc. Insulated, not insulated. Lots of options. I recommend doing one's research and getting quality.

There is a good chance the university may even give first year students mugs or cups or water bottles as part of their "welcome to the dorms/campus" packages -- BUT I would think about how I use it; personally, I am not thrilled with the idea of a cheap made in China bottle with no indication of if it is BPA-free or not that I will be drinking a litre or more of water from a day .... or especially if it is insulated and I was thinking of using it for hot beverages.... OTOH, they make great desk pen holders

-SW

 

[danygirl]

My Dds dorm room is tiny and she uses every inch of storage. She is a huge water drinker but just refills with ice in the dining hall.

 

[danygirl]

I also work at a big 10 university - even the instructional and office buildings have filtered water fountains with special taps to easily fill bottles

 

[kamik86]

It depends on the campus. Where I went to school, everything went to the mail room and you went to pick it up and schlep it back to your dorm. It sucks if your dorm is far away from the mail room, but you just deal with it. Not a big deal. It's probably easier for your kid to just go buy it themselves, though. They'll probably be schlepping it no matter how they get it.

I have lived/gone to a few places with awful water. A place in GA that I have to go for work I can't even drink the water filtered through my filter bottle it smells so bad of sulfer and you can taste it. My apartment when I first moved here had old copper pipes and the water would sometimes come out orangeish. Distrusted it so much even my pets drank bottled water. Now I live somewhere with perfectly fine water, especially through my filter bottle.

Now I only buy water bottles once in a while. Its still good if your going someplace and don't want to have to carry the bottle all day. (Because I can throw it away once the water is gone) or when I forget my awesome bottle at work.

 

[kamik86]

I have lived/gone to a few places with awful water. A place in GA that I have to go for work I can't even drink the water filtered through my filter bottle it smells so bad of sulfer and you can taste it. My apartment when I first moved here had old copper pipes and the water would sometimes come out orangeish. Distrusted it so much even my pets drank bottled water. Now I live somewhere with perfectly fine water, especially through my filter bottle.

Now I only buy water bottles once in a while. Its still good if your going someplace and don't want to have to carry the bottle all day. (Because I can throw it away once the water is gone) or when I forget my awesome bottle at work.

In case your looking for a bottle I recommend the camelbak brand. They don't spill unless they were overfilled (carry it in a backpack sometimes can literally turn it upside down and nothing spills). The groove ones have a filter in them (they have non filtered and insulated ones too) The top is a straw so its easy to drink while on the go/doing something.

They are extremely popular with everyone I work with. Most of my office has one. Actually someone asked if the company gives them to us so many of us had them!

 

[aprilchem]

College professor here - I'd just wait until she goes to college to explore this. At least at my institution she'd get pushback from the other students if she's seen carrying around a disposable bottle of water. We have lots of recycling bins of campus but we also have water bottle fillers at nearly every fountain.

 

[tajz90]

Keep in mind that many campuses are getting "greener" and banning bottled water (and many are installing some great water bottle refill stations with filtered water!). How about a nice refillable water bottle (or two), a bottle brush (for keeping it clean), and a Brita pitcher with extra filters? .............P

I was gong to point out the "green" direction.

My daughter's college discouraged the use of bottled water. They went so far as to issue University cups to every student. When there was an event, you brought you own cup - they did not have disposable cups available.

My sons university issued water bottles also.

His university has great refill stations on all their water fountains. Really neat. When my son first started school, he brought a large package of bottled water. By the time he graduated, he wouldn't touch a disposable water bottle. He carried a refillable one and still does, everywhere.

 

[wishesuponastar]

Kamik86, I didn't think about sulfur tasting water. Sorry that happened to you.

I also thank all of you for your replies as I didn't know what college students do for water.

 

[zoemurr]

Kamik86, I didn't think about sulfur tasting water. Sorry that happened to you.

I also thank all of you for your replies as I didn't know what college students do for water.

Does she drink a lot of bottled water at home? Maybe you should start weaning her now. It really is terrible for the environment and so avoidable. You could buy a Brita for the family and have everyone use it. You will probably be amazed at how well it works.

My son wanted a "waterbottle that stays cold" for soccer and after reading about them here we got him a Hydroflask. Now he has 2, and all of the rest of us (including grandma and uncle) have our own. We use them all of the time. Amazing technology.

I agree with a PP. If she wants her own bottled water then she can purchase it. My children have been raised that there is very little reason to ever buy one (or any other individually wrapped product for that matter.) We try really hard to cut back on waste. It's nice to see the colleges taking such a strong stand. I wish more places had the "Hydration Stations". We were really impressed when we saw one.

 

[MrsPete]

Keep in mind that many campuses are getting "greener" and banning bottled water (and many are installing some great water bottle refill stations with filtered water!). How about a nice refillable water bottle (or two), a bottle brush (for keeping it clean), and a Brita pitcher with extra filters? .............P

Yes, my daughter's college is VERY "green", and it's actually a HUGE social faux pas to carry around a disposable water bottle.

My daughter has 2-3 nice water bottles. (Avoid the Tervis tumbler water bottles -- the lids are near impossible to remove for cleaning, and when my daughter dropped and broke her lid, she tossed the whole thing -- too bad because it was a nice looking bottle.) Near most water fountains, the school has a refill station. I remember we saw them when we were visiting the school, and it took us a minute to figure out what they were! Now I wish we had those at the high school where I teach!

Actually, now that I think about it, I think I'll start giving water bottles (perhaps in school colors) to graduates. They could be filled with candy -- or quarters. Attach some helium balloons to the top, and it's also a really cute gift.

 

[jrmasm]

This is such an interesting thread.

My DD's school gives bottled water with their meal plan meals so I highly doubt anyone is being shunned on her campus.

Regional differences I guess.

 

[megsoro]

Refillable bottles here as well. the vending machines don't even sell water. Every building has a water fountain that one can turn the spigot to fill a bottle. You won't even find water bottles as part of the "to-go" option for meal swipes. But we have a mostly organic selection along with normal coke products. And of course, tea.

 

[danygirl]

If your ter is breaks they replace it for free

 

[duh]

Thank you for your replies. I will pass on info to DD about the Brita pitcher and Hydroflask. DD is not in college yet, just something I wanted to know ahead of time.

Your DD is not in college yet, and this is the thread you came up with, out of all things? Is she going to a third world country for college?

 

[megsoro]

Your DD is not in college yet, and this is the thread you came up with, out of all things? Is she going to a third world country for college?

Hey I can understand it. My mom asked all sorts of weird questions. (Can security patrol my daughters' off campus neighborhood? Was the best one... I was 22 at the time.)

 

[Eastern]

Brita pitcher.

done

 

[LorieDisneyLover]

I'm surprised at some of the comments posted here concerning tap water vs. bottled water.

I understand the importance of going green. And at home I usually drink tap water b/c the water in my area isn't so bad.

However, I have been to some areas where the tap water taste terrible -- Disney World is one of those places and I don't think someone wanting bottled water in that situation is asking too much.

And I would hate to see any college 'banning' anything as innocent as bottle water … really?

My college-age daughter uses a brita and that works very well for her. But if she wanted bottled water I'd tell her to go to the nearest Walmart and buy it.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Probably just easier to give her the money to buy the water. She is likely going to have to lug it a ways either way. Most student stores carry bottled water.

This - put your shipping $ toward more groceries

 

[Starwind]

Also, if she is on a meal plan, the soda fountain dispenser usually has a "water" lever/button to dispense water for free. Ditto in fast food courts, etc.

A solution for nasty tasting water from fountains:

http://www.thegrayl.com/

Filter and bottle in one. They sell two filters, one suitable for most domestic water and one suitable for international travel to places with dubious water.

I bought mine from REI and highly recommend it. Many retailers sell them.

Brita, Camelback and others make water bottles with bilters built in as well, though their filters are not as powerful as the Grayl. But for man situations (especially if it is just taste one is concerned with) they would work well.

A caution: the Brita soft-side filter bottles we got all leaked. The hardside ones apparently are much less likely to leak, though I have not tried one myself.

-SW

 

[sunnyday123]

I'm just astounded you've ( OP ) put this much thought into something that isn't going to occur in the next year.

If she's going to college, I certainly hope she can figure out how to get beverages