By Chanya Sainvilus, Special to The Chronicle
“You won’t see a bottle on my desk,” said Director of Dining Services, Richard Maha. Maha and other Hofstra employees eat for free, but under Lackmann policy, are forbidden from drinking bottled beverages provided by the company.
“We always have to have a fountain beverage,” Maha said, with a plastic cup filled with ice and brown liquid on his desk, “because the cost is extremely high.”
Hofstra students, who purchase Poland Spring water on campus, also purchase the same product at a cheaper price off campus or chug from a canteen. Reusable containers are on the rise among the environmentally and financially conscious students at Hofstra. Even Maha has a canteen. “I’ll fill it in the morning and leave it on my desk,” he said.
“Canteens require commitment,” said Vicky Vardounotis, a sophomore Pre-Med major. Disposable bottles are too convenient for most students to forfeit. Vardounotis explained that she does not want to carry a thermos around all day.
Renee Tarzia, a teacher for the Nassau Boces Program, doesn’t mind. It’s “good exercise” she said while using her bulgy, red thermos as a dumbbell.
If your only water is from a reusable container, it is important to keep track of it. “I have to remember my swipe [student ID] and my keys so it’s one more thing to remember. I’m usually thirsty in the mornings so it is easy,” said Mari Wilson, a freshman Business major.
While pursuing a new habit is easy for some, it can be tough for others. “I’ve been meaning to get [a thermos],” said Grace Gavilanes, a sophomore English and Journalism major. “But my Dad—he buys those big cases of water.”
Refilling empty containers of any sort is made easier with hydration stations—filtered water fountains neatly designed for bottles and cups, which are currently located in the Netherlands, Student Center and Fitness Center. Those who guzzle their water from reusable containers will rarely feel dehydrated on campus once they are installed in the Towers and Nassau/Suffolk this summer said Campus Sustainability officer, Teresa Greis.
Maile Scarpino, an undeclared major, hydrates in many ways; she took a gulp from her one-liter Poland Spring bottle before saying “I have a thermos.” Scarpino fills up on about four one-liter bottles of water daily and sometimes uses the same plastic water bottle “over and over again until it gets gross.” She takes advantage of the hydration station in the Fitness Center.
According to Poland Spring’s website, the main difference between Poland Spring and tap water is its “remarkable quality and consistently great taste.” The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) checks the cleanliness of tap water. Poland Spring regulates their own water, which is checked by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Poland Spring claims in the bottled water quality report, found on their website, that “the FDA regulations for bottled water are at least just as stringent as those imposed by the EPA for tap water.”
Poland Spring bottled water costs $1.65 at Hofstra while it costs $3.98 for a 24–pack at most store locations. “It’s an established price,” Maha said, but he declined to reveal how much Hofstra pays for Poland Spring water and the profits gained from its sales. “You won’t get that,” Maha said. “We don’t give out what our costs are,” he added.

Hofstra’s Lackmann employees eat for free, but elect not to pay expensive prices for on-campus Poland Spring water. (Sean M. Gates/The Chronicle)