Water Testing with Nat Glaid

Oracle staff members conduct an experiment to see if there are any differences between school water and bottled water.

Natalie Glaid poses with the finished experiment results.

Natalie Glaid, Feature Editor

Last Thursday, we decided to do something unthinkable, something no student or staff member has ever dared to do before: test the school water.

More specifically, we compared the taste of school water to the taste of bottled water.

In order to complete this experiment, we took water samples from a bottle of Dasani water, the locker level, the first floor, the resource floor and the third floor. All of the school-obtained samples either came from water fountains or water dispensers.

After gathering all the samples, we determined the individual pH of each one. pH would be the reason for the so-called “varying” water taste around school; water taste is dependent upon alkaline, which is measured by pH. Typically, the more alkaline in the water, the better it will taste.

The pH of water is about 7, or, in scientific terms, neutral. The pH scale ranges from 0-14, 0 being the most acidic, while 14 is the most basic.

The final results of our experiment proved that school water, no matter the floor, is unextraordinary. All five samples had a pH of about 7.5, therefore indicating that there is not a major difference between school and bottled water.  

Despite these results, we will continue to analyze the school water, for there are still many mysteries to be solved. Stay tuned for part two!