At Mount Vernon High School, I see herds of students walking through the halls–people with their school supplies, friends, and water bottles. Water bottles are so common that they often fade into the background. At least until someone drops their metal bottle on the floor and it clatters loudly. 

While many students do carry water bottles, whether reusable or single-use plastic, I wonder how often they actually drink from them, or how many cups they drink over the course of the school day. 

I personally carry a 25 fl oz reusable bottle that I drink from every day. On average I refill the bottle four times. I only drink one bottle of water at school, then the other three bottles at home.

There are water fountains scattered throughout the school, where occasionally a person tops off their water before class. However, most people refrain from using school water fountains. Many people will fill their bottles at home and only drink that during the school day. Once it is gone, they are done until they get back home. This is because the school fountains have a small filter light in the corner. There are three bulbs that say the quality of the water filter. All of the fountains at the school that have this feature display a red light that says the filter needs to be replaced. 

Water is the most important drink people should have every day. According to Mayoclinc.org, people should drink “About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of water a day for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of water a day for women.” This statistic is based on average weight. 

Water is always promoted as healthy and good for the body, but what does it actually do? Many benefits and important functions require drinking water every day. It regulates body temperature, keeps the body moisturized, flushes out the kidney, and improves digestion. This is all very important and should be a few reasons to encourage people to drink more water.

Some do not like to drink water because they find it tastes boring or they just prefer other drinks. There are plenty of add-ins and water flavorings that can make water more appealing. Infusing fruits and herbs can also improve water flavor and its benefits. 

No matter what way people choose to enjoy their water, it is important to drink it. Stay hydrated.