Water from drinking fountains in BCPSS is still not safe to drink. Dr. Alonso's plan to combat the lead in the water is to continue with bottled water. Despite the graphic I just saw on FOX 45 news, the bottled water aren't small individual bottles that we hand out to the students. Rather, it's those huge water cooler type bottles.
We've had bottled water for the last five years, so nothing has changed for our school. Some time in last year, the city put up signs next to the water fountains proclaiming them to be safe, but they were never turned on. Turns out that's a good thing, I guess, since lead is still there.
The problem with bottled water is that the waters are often empty - especially on days that it's really needed, like those horribly hot days in August/September and May/June. The water is rarely cold and is often just room temperature. And often there are no paper cones to drink water out of - the dispensers for them break all the time, so they end up in a tube balanced on top of the large bottle, and invariably end up all over the place. And, lastly, there just aren't enough of them - generally two per floor in a huge school.
I hate them. I can't believe we still don't have drinkable water in the schools, though I agree with Dr. Alonso that there a lot more important issues and supply shortages in city schools than to ante up the millions to replace all the pipes. It still sucks, though.
******
Last night, I was on the way to sleep when I felt an ich on the bottom of my foot. I used my big toenail to scratch the itch, not thinking much else about it. Well, I woke up this morning with a raw open sore at that very foot. I apparently scratched myself raw, like a dog. Think I'm stressed out a bit?
* Grades due tomorrow. Still three huge stacks.
* Class was tonight, or else I would have stayed at school until 9 or so to finish. Couldn't do it. Went to my horrible class to turn something in, then waited for break so I could duck out and grade some more.
* House concert on Friday. Only two reservations. House not clean. I work tomorrow night so I'm not sure when I'll be cleaning the tumbleweeds of dog hair that are blowing through our house.
On a positive end, I gave an incredible Odyssey project assignment today that I'm really excited about. The kids even are, too - except for my class of negative nancies in first period, who whined and whined about too much work.
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5 comments:
I always looked upon the water fountains at my schools with suspicion (I feel vindicated now). I could never bring myself to drink from any of them, even after practices and games -- even when it was hot. But then again, as a germ freak, I never liked the idea of drinking behind somebody at a water fountain to begin with. Plus, people would put stale gum and trash in them. Ick! But business as usual at probably more than a few schools.
Anyway, it does suck that there isn't any drinkable water coming out of fountains, but you and Dr. Alonso are right that there are other issues. Moreover, this probably isn't a new issue and while one of the first orders of business is state of good repair, this is probably the best solution for now. Soon as all that slots money starts pouring into the city in a couple of years, maybe the pipes will get fixed.
In the meantime, they should fasten those dispensers to the wall or something. And maybe even make sure that schools are stocked with enough water, and if not, have some fulfillment person at North Avenue to regularly take care of that -- a novel concept.
About the house. WE had a yard sale Saturday and no one showed up. My husband hauled every box out of the closets and we ended hauling all the stuff back into the house and stacking it all over the place. We are now truly living in a storage locker.
As far as there not being enough dispensers, the school is supposed to maintain a specific student-to-cooler ratio. If I had to guess, there are probably several of them in places like the nurse's office, the main office area, the teacher's lounge and assorted other places not necessarily available to the students.
Incidentally, every time I look at the signs with that stupid anthropomorphic drinking glass telling me that the fountain is "OK!", is it just me or does that "OK!" look a lot like a cursive "OLE!"? I keep wondering why the sign is in Spanish.
Good luck with the house concert.
Hi,
I agree that it's ridiculous that you don't have drinkable tap water. Check out the Think Outside the Bottle campaign: thinkoutsidethebottle.org. It fights for public officials' support of improving public water systems in favor of allowing corporations to control water resources. Sign the TOTB pledge here: http://www.stopcorporateabusenow.org/campaign/think_outside_the_bottle_pledge?source=gc3
oops! sign the pledge HERE:
http://www.stopcorporateabusenow.org/campaign/
think_outside_the_bottle_pledge?source=gc3
(not a hyperlink)
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