Where’s My Water? Ranking Water at Carleton

One of the first things many students realize about college is that the tap water is… a little different from home-filtered water. If you’re coming from a home with pristine tap water, the transition can be very taste-full. But fear not! If you know where to look, there is excellent hydration to be found all over campus (although I do personally recommend bringing a Brita filter for your dorm). And yes, I know we’ve had other water experts talk about the hydration scene on campus, but here is my guide to finding the best water on campus:

1. Anderson / Olin (Sciences Complex)

The water here is incredibly clean, crisp, and fresh. Since this building is a popular space for classes, labs, studying, and hanging out, the first-floor Anderson fountain is used a lot—so much so that it sometimes displays a yellow filter status. If that happens, simply go up or down (half) a flight of stairs to find a fountain with a green filter.

2. LDC, Burton, and Sayles (Soda Machines)

The water stations at LDC and Burton via the soda machines dispense arguably the best, coldest water on campus. You can even top it off with ice from the dispensers, if you would like. However, since it’s so intensely cold, I like to top mine off with the hot water. At LDC and Burton dining halls, they have hot water stations complete with tea packets, lemon slices, honey, and sugar to elevate your drink. At Sayles, I’ll fill up my water bottle 2/3 of the way, and then head over to the counter to ask if they could fill the rest up—this usually leads to a warm-to-mildly-hot temperature of water, which I enjoy.

3. The Library

Beyond the standard water-bottle refill stations, the library hides a secret gem: a two-lever hot-and-cold water station. The best part? The hot water is so steamy-hot that you can even make cup ramen with it! It’s perfect if you want ramen mid-study session or just want some hot water without having to pardon a fellow human (me, occasionally!).

4. Multicultural Center (MCC)

The water here is so smooth. Since the MCC was just built, everything is so new, nice-looking, and pristine, which might subconsciously influence my rating of the water… Still, it’s a fantastic place to fill up your water bottle while studying, hanging out with friends, or attending cultural events.

5. Cassat Hall

As far as residential dorms go, Cassat is a wonderful option. The water from both the normal water filling station and the first-floor lounge fridge dispenser is reliably good (i.e., non-flavored). Grab a drink, claim the corner table booth in the lounge, and enjoy your peaceful studying.

Alice (she/her/hers) is a rising junior from the Bay Area majoring in Cognitive Science and Psychology. During the summer, she works as a Student Researcher for the Decision-Making Lab and as a Fellow for Admissions. During the school year, she is a Resident Assistant and a former Student Baker for the Bakery. In her free time, she is engaged in Aikido, Karl-Pop and KRUSH Dance Crew (our K-pop clubs), Fellowship in Christ, and In Other Words, our multilingual literary magazine. Things she considers yummy include: strawberries, matcha (ft. Little Joy), picnics, memoirs, poetry (ft. Time is a Mother), violet (the color), naps, heart-to-hearts, tiny outings, random interactions, and Pikmin walks.