With the CDC calling for the replacement of high-touch, communal fixtures, such as water fountains, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) in San Bernardino County today announced that FloWater Touchless Refill Stations have now been installed in all 28 district schools and administrative support sites. With the availability of touchless, foot pedal activation devices, FloWater Refill Stations eliminate the risk of communal surface cross-contamination of COVID-19, while reducing the time and expense of having their custodial staffs continually wiping down water fountain surfaces.
The District applied for and received a grant to purchase FloWater Refill Stations for qualifying schools before the pandemic from the California’s Water Resources Control Board Drinking Water for Schools Grant Program. With a Cares Act grant, the District was able to purchase additional FloWater Refill Stations with hands-free, foot pedal activation devices for the remaining school sites and administrative offices, providing access District-wide to all 22,000 K-12 students and staff.
FloWater’s Advanced Osmosis water purification technology removes up to 99.99 % of all toxins and contaminants in water, including viruses, bacteria, heavy metals like lead and arsenic, chemicals, and microplastics. Self-sanitizing, FloWater Refill Stations also have a large fill area with a fully recessed dispensing nozzle with no bottle contact, eliminating potential cross-contamination from bottle to bottle.
“We initially set out to find a drinking water solution looking at filtration, on-going cost, maintenance and ease of installation and determined that FloWater offered the best product for our students and staff,” said Owen Chang, the District’s Director of Facilities. “Now, with the CARES Act funding, we have added more FloWater Refill Stations and a safer, fully touchless drinking water experience for our community as we plan for safely reopening our facilities.
FloWater Refill Stations are free-standing and easy to install, connecting to any potable water line within 100 feet, meaning that most schools can simply replace their old water fountains in the same location. “Before COVID, we were seeing a high demand as schools looked to eliminate contaminants and plastic waste. Additionally, surveys showed that students drank more water, were better hydrated, had more energy, and consumed less sugary beverages where FloWater Refill Stations were installed. Now, with our fully ‘touchless’ drinking water solution, we are able to meet the national challenge to replace outdated water fountains in our schools,” according to FloWater CEO and Co-Founder, Rich Razgaitis.
“Providing access to safe, good tasting drinking water for our entire school community is a major accomplishment,” noted Dr. Frank Miranda, the District’s Superintendent. “When our students return to campus, we want them to see that we have taken the greatest care to provide for them.”
The FloWater technology also alkalizes and oxygenates the water and adds electrolytes for better hydration. A carbon coconut filter ‘finishes’ the chilled water for a great taste.
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