One student vice president wants to get vending machines that dispense purified water to the school so students would have the opportunity of getting cleaner water by the gallon.

“I know water quality was a big concern for me when I lived in the residence halls, and I ended up spending a dollar a bottle when I wanted drinking water,” said Daryl Jones, student vice president for public affairs.

While his concern for the residents remains the driving force in his efforts, he said he has many obstacles to overcome. Even if the machines were ready to go into place, people would still need to look at contracts for service.

“The university is currently under contract with Pepsi for provision of drink-vending machines, so we have to make sure that getting these machines doesn’t breach our contract,” Jones said.

He said Monty Bennett, director of purchasing, is looking into the agreement to determine if getting the machines are possible.

Jones said he hopes it will be possible to get one of these machines put in every residence hall, but he hopes to start with at least three – one in Carman Hall; one in the Lincoln, Stevenson, Douglas complex; and one in the South Quad.

“At this week’s senate meeting, I am going to ask the senate members to throw the question out to their constituents and informally find out where the students stand on this,” Jones said. “If the support is there, I will be happy to pursue it. If it’s not, we can stop this project before it moves too far along.”