With the vast majority of students descending on Charleston from many other parts of the country, it is natural that many of them will find some things different here than back home.

In fact, it has been a recurring joke around those not native to Charleston that “there is something in the water.”

However, one student leader has taken initiative to make the drinking water available to students more palatable – but this initiative is not needed.

Daryl Jones, student vice president for public affairs, announced last week that he would try to get water purification vending machines on campus, which would provide students with a gallon of purified water for about 25 cents.

The addition of the systems to residence halls, if possible, would be a waste of money to the university.

It is a well-known fact among those who drink Charleston water that the water does not always taste too good, but the city is taking steps to improve some of the elements that contribute to less-palatable water.

Two years from now, Charleston’s water will taste clean. Once the water has a desirable taste, the university-purchased machines will be of little use and will make little money.

The city’s attempt at giving city water a better taste uses a new filtration system that filters water from Lake Charleston, the city’s primary water source, using ozone and activated carbon.

Ciyt Manager Bill Riebe said this new filtration system is the same type of filtration that is used in the water-purifying vending machines that Jones wants installed in residence halls.

The addition of water-purifying vending machines will save students money for only a two-year period until a city-wide water filtration system is brought online.

Eastern officials should think twice about bringing the proposed water filtration vending machines to campus because, with a little patience, the city soon will provide better tasting drinking water to its residents.

The editorial is the opinion of the editorial board of The Daily Eastern News