Thermal students give free reusable water bottles to peers

Students at Desert Mirage High School in Thermal are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. The “GrEAT” – or Green Energy And Technology – Academy says using reusable water bottles will help.

The group raised money to give all 2,400 people on campus a reusable water bottle adorned with the school mascot, a space for students to write their names, and a measure of how much water is in the bottle.

“I know they’re trying to reduce the fact that there’s trash everywhere, and they’re trying to help the environment more,” said junior Melissa Torres-Quintero.

New this school year, students can fill the bottles with filtered water at four different stations on campus.

“The water here is almost — not contaminated, but not clean — so that cleans the water,” said GrEAT student Jennifer Jimenez.

In the past, the GrEAT Academy has installed school benches, trash cans, and trees throughout campus.

“They really don’t want to be trashy,” said organizer and GrEAT leader, Tony Korwin. “This is a culture that respects life, that respects the environment.”

Korwin also says these bottles will, if used, save water.

“A single-use water bottle takes more than two liters of water to make – regardless of what’s in it – and a liter of oil. So if we can encourage the kids to use the bottles, we won’t have that much going into the landfills.”

The students hope to distribute all the bottles to students during lunchtime this week.