Getting a drink of water can take a bit longer than usual these days as many of the water fountains in the downstairs hallways are not working. This problem has occurred before and while sometimes it is a maintenance issue, this time it’s been a deliberate action by administration.

“Sometimes students will throw away too much toilet paper at once and the toilets can get clogged and they will also plug the water spouts,” assistant principal Bruce Coachman said. “When things like this happen, the maintenance people will ask me what to do, and usually I have to shut them off.”

For most students it’s a nuisance that doesn’t make sense.

“I think it is annoying to have them shut off,” sophomore Georgia Brown said. “I always get thirsty in class and now I can’t go and get water whenever.”

Students will often ask teachers when the water fountains will be turned back on, but that hasn’t been determined.

“When the maintenance asks when to put them back on, I usually see how long they have been off and then we decide if we should put them back on or not,”  Coachman said.

For some students, getting a drink of water is about more than a brief respite from class.

“After choir I am always out of breath and I need water but for the past few weeks i can’t get water and it kind of sucks,” freshman Mallory Immel said.

It’s a sentiment that shared by others.

“After band I always need water but I have to go to a different hall to get it, which is annoying,” freshman Lexi Churchwell said “And also after studio dance I need to fill my water bottle but I can’t anywhere downstairs, I hope they get fixed soon.”