Free Drinking Water at Walailak University
In 2023, Walailak University provides free drinking water dispensers in every building within the university, with over 140 dispensers available for students, staff, and visitors. These dispensers offer both hot and cold water and come in two types: RO (Reverse Osmosis) system and stainless-steel drinking water dispensers.
The university provides free drinking water dispensers in the form of RO water filtration systems at 97 machines available for use across various points, as follows: Lecture Buildings 1, 3, 5 and 7; Thaiburi Building; Academic Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; Building for science and technology 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8; Building anatomy 1 and 2; Administration Building; Library and Educational Media Center; Research Building; Digital Technology Center Building; Small Animal Teaching Hospital; Animal Anatomy Building; Sport Science Building; Architect & Design Building; Innovation Building; Service Central Building; Walailak Botanic Park; Water production plant; equipment storage building; WU Smart Farm; Division of Land and Building; Legal Officer Building; Indoor Sport Building; Large Animal Hospital; Cooperative Education Building; Student Dormitory 4, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22; Vehicle Hub; Landscape Architecture and Environment Building; Landscape Architecture and Environment Repair Center.
There are also more than 47 original stainless steel drinking water dispensers available at various locations, as follows: Student Dormitories 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18; Chor-Pradu Cafeteria and Activity Cafeteria.
For the free RO drinking water dispensers, there is a four-stage RO water filtration system installed. The system can filter water effectively down to 0.0001 microns, ensuring confidence in drinking water that is free from impurities, sediments, heavy metals, viruses, and other pathogens. The dispenser has a cold water tank with capacity of 5 liters and a hot water tank with capacity of 4 liters. The system has a production capacity of 190 liters per day. The cold water temperature ranges from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius, while the hot water temperature ranges from 70 to 85 degrees Celsius. The electrical current for cold water is 100W, and for hot water, it is 600W.
The university conducts regular inspections and measurements of water quality and equipment. Water quality is analyzed according to the standard methods. Type 2 drinking water (non-packaged drinking water) is provided. The university changes the filter elements as scheduled every 6 months. Water quality for drinking water and the cleanliness of the drinking water dispensers are checked monthly. This is done to ensure confidence in the public health aspect for the users, assuring them that the university provides clean drinking water and manages it safely.
All the university’s free water dispensers are clean and safe because the university conducts regular inspections and maintenance. The university checks for bacteria using the in-house method “CSE-WI-MA-03” for E. coli and Coliform by employing coliform testing kits in water. This method follows the standards defined in “The Examination of Water and Wastewater, APHA, AWWA, WEF, 23rd edition 2017, part 9223 B.”
The heavy metals tested for include iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), barium (Ba), and arsenic (As). Additionally, there is testing for fluoride (F-), chloride (Cl-), nitrite (NO2-), nitrate (NO-3), and sulfate (SO2-4).
The summary of the water dispenser quality inspection for both types (new water dispensers and stainless steel water dispensers) in the year 2022 reveals that there was no contamination found, including coliform, E. coli, and heavy metals. Additionally, a check of the condition of the water dispensers was conducted to ensure that everyone can use them safely at all locations.
In addition to ensuring water quality at Walailak University, employees, staff, students, and visitors are also encouraged to use reusable water bottles or personal water containers to reduce plastic waste. This not only helps keep the university clean but also allows students, faculty, and staff to save on the cost of purchasing bottled water for daily consumption.
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation