The Healthy Campus Network (HCN) is a UC wide coalition aimed to promote and drive system wide changes relating to health and wellness. Under the mission “to make the UC the healthiest place to work, learn and live,” the Healthy Beverage Initiative (HBI) was launched. With funding from UCOP, the Healthy Beverage Initiative’s (HBI) goal is to increase access to fresh drinking water in an attempt to reduce the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.
At UC San Diego, the HBI set out on a journey to assess the state of drinking water across the campus and evaluate student, staff, and faculty perceptions of it. First, the access points to drinking water across campus were mapped and evaluated. A physical map was generated to identify areas with minimal or very limited points of drinking water. Next, a system-wide survey was conducted to determine which minimal or limited water access locations would best benefit from the installation of new hydration stations. In total, the HBI initiative expects to contribute to the installation of over 20 new hydration stations at UC San Diego.
This initiative was made possible by the collaboration from Housing Dining and Hospitality (HDH)), the Student Sustainability Collective, Campus Planning Department, Sustainability Department, and many other individual and department contributions. Each group broadened both the reach, and impact of this initiative in the midst of very trying times to make UC San Diego a healthier place for students, staff, faculty, and the San Diego community.
