Jul 5, 2016Schools Install Custom-Made Systems
Hawaii’s Department of Water contributed custom-made hydration stations to Waimea, Kauai and Kapaa school districts as a cheaper and more easily available alternative to similar products. According to The Garden Island, the idea was the brainchild of the department’s waterworks inspector, who has also served as a football coach in the area.
“On behalf of the Department of Water, we are pleased to donate these custom hydration stations that will support student athletes, faculty, coaches, and community volunteers,” Kirk Saiki, DOW manager and chief engineer, said. “Freddy Levinthol, the DOW waterworks inspector, approached me with the idea about a month ago, and I was immediately on board. He finished constructing all three stations just in time for the start of preseason football.”
Ensuring a system for hydration has been especially important due to a change in scheduling, according to Kapaa High School Head Football Coach Keli‘i Morgado.
“When our … football games were switched to Saturday afternoons from Friday nights, hydration became a critical issue,” Morgado said. “I showed Freddy what types of hydration stations were being sold on the Internet for athletic teams. These units contain expensive marine pumps and rechargeable batteries, not to mention high shipping costs to Hawaii. Freddy used his plumbing expertise to come up with a hydration station that is far superior to anything you can find online. All we had to do was fill the cooler with ice, hook it up to the water hose down at our field. Hydrating our athletes became so much easier because of the ‘Levinthol Hydration Station.’”
The unit, known as “the Octopus,” each cost approximately $1,000 to create using items from local hardware stores. According to Levinthol, the parts being locally available makes the machine easier to keep in working condition.
