Duke is experiencing yet another water shortage.
Students returned from Spring Break to find empty spaces where AquaHealth water dispensers once supplied the precious resource in dining halls.
The water dispensers were installed in January, but have been removed from the Great Hall and the Marketplace because they violated terms of Duke Dining Services' contract with The Coca-Cola Company.
According to the agreement, Dining Services is not permitted to dispense non-Coca-Cola fountain products, so the fountains, which offered flavored water, violate the terms. The 10-year contract with the company expires next year.
Dining Services officials met with Coca-Cola representatives Monday afternoon to determine an arrangement that would uphold the contract. Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst said he expected a decision to be reached later this week.
Wulforst added that he anticipated complaints from the Duke community and plans to provide flavored water from Coca-Cola if they offered a comparable product.
"When I first saw that it was missing, I was confused and asked the drink guy where it was," freshman Kelly Adamski said. "I was upset because I don't want to drink soda and it was a nice in-between alternative from soda at every meal, but now that that's gone there aren't many options left."
Wulforst said Coca-Cola argued that AquaHealth is a fountain beverage that dispenses a flavored drink that is very similar to Coke products.
"We're at a crossroads right now, and we're trying to figure out how to bring the product back without violating the contract," he said. "It just can't be a fountain system attached to the existing Coke system."
The compromise may involve filtered and flavored water that does not compete "nozzle-for-nozzle" with Coca-Cola products, Wulforst added.
Even with the flavor options, sophomore Matt Campbell said he will not miss the dispensers if they are not reinstalled.
"I don't see the point in paying for water that's flavored and doesn't even taste that much better," he said. "I just don't like it."
Junior Sid Gulledge, on the other hand, said that though costly, the health benefits outweigh the prices.
"It's good to have multiple options--and healthy options-in terms of what you're drinking," he said. "Coke doesn't provide many healthy options."
AquaHealth not only provided a soda alternative for students, but also something that would not impact the environment negatively, Wulforst said. Bon Appetit, the contractor running both the Great Hall and the Marketplace, provides AquaHealth water because it values offering environmentally-friendly products that minimize plastic and can waste, he said.
"I never expected to be in a position where we thought we were doing the right thing and in the end, it's not the right thing," Wulforst said. "Who knew about sustainability 10 years ago? We're all working to come up with a plan that is best for Duke."
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