Every two weeks, the breezeway at Eliot House is flooded--with bottled water.

Residents of Eliot and of some other undergraduate houses say they have noticed a significant increase in the number of subscribers to bottled water services this year.

"There have been more and more people getting bottled water," said Jonathan K. Hsu '94, who shares a cooler with his neighbors. "There's a wall of water just standing there in the breezeway."

According to Eliot superintendent Hank L. Slonina, the heightened consciousness of drinking water quality seems to be due to student preferences rather than to any recent change in the tap water.

"There haven't been any complaints about the water," he says. "I guess it's just a trend."

"I drink a lot of water to begin with, and having it around is a bonus," said Adams House resident Bryan L. Sells '94. "I've definitely noticed that it's catching on."

Sells and one of his roommates both had water coolers when they moved in this year.

Dunster House resident Amanda M. Dawson '94 emphasizes the convenience of bottled water. She said that she and her seven blockmates share hot and cold water service.

Though officials in local bottled water companies refused to comment on whether their service to students has increased, they did note that people in general have become more aware of the contents of drinking water.

"There's been a lot of hype about premium quality, whether or not it's much better," said Bill laconelli, sales manager of Aqua Cool. "It hits college students pretty hard."

A number of students said they are reluctant to drink the city's tap water.

"Cambridge water has a yellowishbrownish tint, and has a funny aftertaste," Hsu said. "I remember once I put water into a white cup and [the cup became] discolored."

University buildings are also part of what appears to be the growing market for bottled water. The Schlesinger Library, for example, has coolers on every floor, instead of the water fountains most libraries use.

"The lead and salt content [of fountains] was a concern to some people," said Diane Hamer, library manager at the Schlesinger.

But an official at the Cambridge Water Department defended the city's tap water, calling it "perfectly fine."

"We meet all state regulations except sodium,which is a primary contaminant," said TimothyMacDonald, manager of water resources at thedepartment.

"The elevated sodium levels are directlyrelated to the salting of route 128 and otherhighways," MacDonald said.

Sodium Content

MacDonald insisted that the increased sodiumcontent does not alter the water's potability, andsaid he was not aware of any increase in customercomplaints.

And students and staff members in severalhouses said yesterday they had not noticed anincrease in the consumption of bottled water,indicating that the trend may be limited in scope