Humans can go up to three weeks without eating, but only three days without water. Hydration is an important part of all life. It’s important to stay hydrated during the school day, so there are 40 water fountains throughout Madison which gives you many options to choose from. Which ones are the best and which ones are the worst? I ranked the water fountains from worst to best, keeping in mind many factors such as temperature, location, accessibility and much more. Here’s my hot take.
The absolute worst water fountain at Madison is upstairs next to room 241. Despite the water fountain having the coldest water at 44 degrees Fahrenheit and having a good water flow with an easy button, it’s insanely loud. At first, it seemed like a picture-perfect water fountain, then, disaster struck as it began making the most horrific sound ever. Not only is it distracting to nearby classes but people stare at you as it’s used because it’s so loud. I strongly recommend avoiding this water fountain at all costs.
The water fountain in 39th place is located by the main gym and is one of the warmest water fountains at Madison, at 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Personally, I’d much rather have a cold sip of water than a warm one, and this water fountain isn’t going to give you that refreshing sip of water you’re looking for. Not only was the water warm, the button was hard to press and the water stream was inconsistent.
In 38th place is a water fountain that has a water bottle filler. Typically, what makes a water fountain good is having a water bottle filler, but that’s not everything. The water fountain near room 212 is perfect if you are looking to take a shower. The drinking spout sprays its unsuspecting victims, leaving them soaking wet for the rest of the day. As much as I love water, it’s not worth walking around with a wet shirt all day.
Since there are so many water fountains at Madison, it’s hard to just pick the best three, so as a bonus, here is a fountain that wasn’t in the top three but deserves an honorary mention: the fountain upstairs near room 231. It has a water bottle filler, and it can fill up your bottle pretty quickly. It’s a little low to the ground, but it’s very popular. On numerous occasions there’s been a line to fill up a water bottle in between classes. It’s also in a fairly busy hallway so people may walk into you while getting water. When I use it I’m always worried about someone bumping into me and spilling my water all over the place.
In third place is the cafeteria water fountain. It’s a great location that every student goes through on a daily basis. The temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and this water fountain is pretty meh. It isn’t bad but isnt good either. It’s a great spot to fill up your water bottle, but if you’re just looking for a quick sip you may need to think again. The drinking spout sprays so hard it actually goes up and over the water fountain, spilling all over the floor. The only effective way to use it is to go with a friend who’s filling up their water bottle. You can grab a quick sip with a great drinking spout as long as a water bottle is being filled up at the end of the stream.
The silver medal winning water fountain is the library water fountain. If you are someone who typically goes up to the library, it’s a great spot. It’s clean and has a water bottle filler. All the water fountains in newer parts of the school actually have two fountains next to each other, one with a water bottle filler and one without. The water is a bit warm at the fountain near the library at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. There are a great deal of stairs to climb, but at the top you can get some fresh water to quench your thirst from all those steps.
Finally in first place are the downstairs new wing water fountains. Just like at the library, there are two water fountains right next to each other. The water is fairly cold at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The water bottle filler is one of the quickest at Madison and it’s in a hallway that is busy, but not so busy that you’ll feel squashed when filling up your water bottle.
Over three floors, there are a total of 40 water fountains at Madison. They have a wide range of temperatures from 44 degrees to 73 degrees Fahrenheit. There are many options to get a drink of water from, and some are definitely better than others. Whether they’re loud or quiet, easy to get to, or just overall cleaner than others, having a large number of water fountains is crucial to a school’s infrastructure. The best ones being in the new wing and the worst being near Ms.Vallampati’s room.
