AMHERST — Living in Korea until four years ago, Sarah Lee experienced firsthand actions in her schools that promoted principles of reducing, reusing and recycling.
Inspired by her formative experience, and seeing the growing popularity of disposable water bottles among both her peers and teachers at Amherst Regional High School, Lee, 17, came up with the idea of having areas in the building where people could quickly refill reusable water containers.
“The goal is to have a greener environment,” Lee said, as the first water bottle filling machine debuted in a corridor near the cafeteria Wednesday afternoon. “This saves the planet from water bottles.”
The new machine, an Elkay ezH20, is expected to be one of five purchased and installed at the high school to rapidly dispense and filter cold water. A sensor activates the machine when a reusable container is placed below the spigot.
All the work associated with the machines is being paid for through a $10,000 grant Lee, as president of the school’s Environmental Action Club, obtained from the Amherst Regional High School Parent Guardian Organization. The Elkay equipment was installed under the supervision of facilities director Ron Bohonowicz and replaces one of what had been side-by-side water fountains.
PGO volunteer Erika Zekos said her organization routinely supports activities in the school and was thrilled to offer the money, as it will not only benefit students and teachers during the day, but also the athletes who use facilities during the evening.
Lee, a junior, said she first came up with the idea in fall 2015, but didn’t know how expensive an undertaking it would be.
Working with the other students, Lee began by raising awareness of the need to recycle and reuse through a day-long flea market, in which unused goods donated by the high school community netted about $350. That money was used to purchase metal water bottles for students. The club’s activities have also included an Earth Day writing competition and a T-shirt painting.
Fellow club member Fiona Rogers, a 17-year-old junior from Shutesbury, said she believes the new machine will make people think before they purchase a disposable water bottle.
“Hopefully this will encourage people to not spend money on plastic bottles that can’t be recycled and don’t decompose,” Rogers said.
Within minutes of its unveiling, the machine was already showing its popularity, with a digital tally showing that the water dispensed had already saved the equivalent of 22 bottles as several students and teachers refilled their bottles with fresh tap water.
“They heard the news and have waited for the installation,” Lee said. “This is very exciting.”
Both acting superintendent Michael Morris and school principal Mark Jackson were on hand as a covering over the machine was removed.
“It’s exciting to see student-driven projects like this one making our school a greener place,” Jackson said in a statement.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
