At 11:50 a.m., the first floor lecture halls of Hibbard Humanities Hall spill open, releasing hundreds of students into the hall. Many of them head straight across the busy path of traffic to refill their water bottle at the water fountain.

The water fountains at UW-Eau Claire are not just the average fountains, however. The first floor of every building on campus features an Elkay EZH2O Bottle Filling System, where students can refill their reusable water bottles to cut down on waste. During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Student Office of Sustainability spent $18,000 on these stations.

“I feel like it’s money well spent,” said Megan Stokes, a senior public relations and Spanish double major. “I hardly ever see anyone walking around with plastic water bottles.”

As of noon Wednesday, the total number of water bottles filled at the stations in Hibbard Hall hit 266,139.

Freshman Brittany Strom said she brings her reusable bottle to campus and appreciates the availability of filtered, sustainable water.

“I use (the filling stations) up to five times a day,” Strom said.

The university’s dedication to staying eco-friendly earned it a place on The Princeton Review’s list of top green colleges. The list is comprised of universities that “demonstrate a commitment to sustainability through academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation,” according to a press release from the university in April 2014. This is Eau Claire’s fourth year in a row on the list.