They’re bright blue and white.
They appear to have condensation running down the front panel.
Most are located next to water fountains or between restrooms.
Emblazoned with the phrase “Naturally brilliant water,” these water refill stations allow students, faculty and staff to top off their refillable water bottles and keep hydrated throughout their day.
The refill stations at El Camino College are provided by FloWater, Inc. and funded by the Associated Students Organization.
“On a scale of one to ten, [it’s] a nine,” film major Geovanny Macias, 20, said, referring to the refill station in the Humanities Building. “If I have a class, I’m going to use it.”
According to its website, FloWater uses advanced purification technology, running tap water through seven filters to eliminate up to 99% of impurities.
There are currently six refill stations located on campus, including in the Student Services Building; the Communications Building; the Industry Technology Education Center; the Humanities Building; the Math, Business and Allied Health Building; and the Social Science Building.
All six refill stations were tested and found to be operating Monday, March 24.
Yet all has not been well for the refill stations, as some of them stopped dispensing water in the spring and fall 2024 semesters due to overuse and the need to replace filters.
Complaints received from students about the refill stations, including the concern that not enough upkeep was being done by ASO, were brought up during a discussion at the ASO Finance Committee meeting Feb. 25.
At that meeting, ASO approved funding for a $5,000 contract to support maintenance and all future costs of the refill stations.
“ASO had approved $10,000 for the academic year in case any of the FloWater machines broke down,” Director of Student Development Ricky Gonzalez said. “We only approved the $5,000 for now, but we still have an additional $5,000, which is a blanket purchase order to be able to cover it.”
ASO Director of Finance Mia Wroe added that the blanket purchase order would cover all aspects of repairs needed.
“So if anything were to happen to the machines, then that money could be used for the repairman to come, or if they needed any parts,” Wroe said.
A video posted on Instagram by ECC and ASO, showing five of the FloWater refill locations, can be viewed here.
The ASO Finance Committee meets in Communications Building, Room 109 on Tuesdays at noon. Meetings are open to the public.
Information on meetings and agendas can be found at BoardDocs.
![Physical science professor Susan Stolovy presents astronomical news and updates to attendees at the first planetarium show of the semester at El Camino College on Friday, March 28. Prior to becoming a professor at ECC, Stolovy completed her doctorate in physics and worked as an astrophysicist for NASA and the California Institute of Technology on spacecraft missions. "[I'm] still very tuned into what's going on in the world of research as well, and I hope to bring a little bit of my experience into the classroom," Stolovy said.](https://eccunion.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/planetarium-Made-with-Clipchamp-3-frame-at-0m28s-1200x675.jpg)
