By Jun Yang
Special for The State News

Some student leaders say that the campus water supply system needs an upgrade, but officials argue that a lack of funding is hindering that effort.

"There is a lot of heavy iron content," former RHA president Derek Wallbank said. "Highly ironed water tastes kind of like blood, realistically."

The campus water comes from a number of different sources at different locations, including some deep rock wells that the university owns. The water is run through a single filtration system on campus.

Many of the pipes and the water-filtration system need to be replaced and upgraded, but there's not enough funding as the university is fighting a budget shortfall, Wallbank said.

"The water-filtration system was put in years ago," he said. "There's been advanced technology. If I compare it to the current technology, the university water-filtration system is an Apple to a computer with Windows XP on it."

Each residence hall has its own water-softening system and individually maintains it, but for a better quality of water supply and maintenance, the university needs to have a centralized water-softening and iron-filtration system, said Douglas MacDonald, maintenance supervisor for MSU's Physical Plant.

The university looked into them in the early 1990s, but the cost was as high as $8 million for both systems, he said, adding that the cost should be much higher now because of inflation and new technologies.

"Iron occurs naturally, but the water is still safe to drink. There's no doubt about it. We do thousands of tests a year," he said.

But students such as prenursing freshman Talitha Russell never drink the campus water.

"I don't feel it's safe. Usually, I buy my own water from the store," she said. "Sometimes, it'll come out in all kinds of colors."

RHA has a two-fold strategy to address the issue, Wallbank said. It's been trying to get the old pipes and the water-filtration system upgraded one residence hall at a time as a long-term plan since March 2003, he said. It also is trying to adopt the system used in the university apartments for the residence halls as a temporary plan since February, he said.

In the university apartments such as University Village, students can buy a gallon of distilled water from water dispensers for 25 cents.

"There's a difference between not having money to completely fix all the problems and not having money to make progress. I have a firm belief that the university has money to make progress," Wallbank said.

A year ago, Holmes Hall became the first residence hall where a water filter, along with an ice dispenser, was set up in the lobby.

The hall government and the Holmes Hall manager's office split the cost in half, Wallbank said.

"It has a two-level filtration system, so it's crystal clear," he said. "It tastes good, too."

RHA is trying to have all residence halls set up water dispensers by 2006, he added.

"If students and complexes like that, we'll look into that," said Diane Barker, the complex manager of Brody Complex.