Campus events are a great way to bring the university community together. From students to faculty and staff, and even parents, alumni and visitors, everyone has fun at these events. But the fun quickly fades if everyone is thirsty and uncomfortable. Providing enough clean drinking water through campus water stations is one of the best ways to ensure your attendees stay hydrated and happy without unnecessary waste.
If you’re planning a campus event and you’re wondering how to keep people hydrated when they’re out in the heat and sun and spending time with a crowd, water stations are a great solution. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Water Stations Are Essential at Campus Events
A water station is one of the most important investments you can make if you’re planning campus events attended by large groups of people. Campus events when a water station could be useful include:
- Orientation
- Campus tours
- Graduation
- Athletic events
- Student organization events, fundraisers, or community events
- Concerts
- Move-in and move-out days
Supplying event attendees with enough clean drinking water is about more than making hydration convenient. Relying on traditional water sources like single-use plastic bottles is expensive, harmful to the environment and inefficient for providing hydration to crowds. Water stations eliminate all of these concerns and make hydration easy for everyone.
Types of Hydration Stations
Once you’ve decided to invest in a water station to replace single-use plastic bottles and supplement water fountains, you need to choose the right type of station for your situation.
Some of your options include:
Portable Hydration Stations
These are stand-alone units temporarily located at specific sites based on the event. They provide flexibility and allow you to choose different locations based on your event’s logistics. These are great when you’re hoping to have a water source for a variety of different events, especially those with temporary set-ups like campus concerts or outdoor festivals.
Bottle Filling Stations
Bottle-filling stations are a great way to promote sustainability and make it easy for everyone to access clean drinking water throughout an event. Attendees bring reusable bottles, or you provide them with reusable bottles to fill at the hydration station. These stations can be temporary and movable, or fixed at a campus location.
Large Capacity Hydration Stations
High-capacity water stations are ideal for supplying large crowds with access to clean drinking water. They work well for big events, like university football games, festivals, and graduations.
There can be overlap with these types of hydration stations. You might want a large-capacity hydration station that provides bottle filling. Or you might want something smaller and portable. No matter what combination of features you need, there is a hydration station to keep everyone at your event hydrated.
Depending on the size of your event, you might also need more than one hydration station. When determining how much water you’ll need to supply during an event, consider:
- Number of attendees
- Weather conditions
- Activity level
- Event duration
Choosing the Right Location for Your Water Station
Where you place your hydration stations at an event is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. It affects not only how people access water but also how long they’ll wait in line and how much water they’ll consume.
Some of the best locations include near:
- Food stations (if you’re serving food)
- Entrances and exits
- Athletic fields
- Seating areas
- Along walking paths
Although it might seem like a good idea to put a hydration station tucked away in a hidden corner or where there’s less foot traffic, this tends to discourage people from getting water. Likewise, you’ll want to avoid areas where lines tend to form, such as near restrooms, as placing a water station too close to crowded areas can create congestion and make it difficult for attendees to move through the event space.
Investing in Hydration Stations for Campus Events
Hydration stations reduce your reliance on single-use plastics and waste. They are a great way to keep everyone healthy and hydrated during your event.
If you’re ready to invest in a hydration station, or if you plan campus events and are looking for a better way to provide clean drinking water to attendees, contact Quench Buggy today.
