There are only four water fountains in the BJC. Yup, that’s right. The venue that can hold 16,000 people for a concert only has four water fountains on its main concourse. Now for most events that the BJC hosts, that’s not really an issue. Water fountains offer a quick and refreshing break from concerts, basketball games, and comedy shows.

But THON is a completely different ballgame, for a couple of different reasons. First, it’s long term. People need a lot of water to get through the weekend, which is why they bring liter-sized water bottle to the BJC. Second, it’s packed. The BJC reached capacity right before the pep rally, and that’s not the only time it will tonight. And all of those people are bound to get thirsty.

So the massive lines to the water fountains this weekend has become famous for make sense. But how long does it really take to fill up your water bottle at the BJC? Well, we decided to find out.

We stood in all four of the water fountain lines right before the Pep Rally. We kept track of the time and a couple of other things. These numbers are by no means standard for all of THON weekend, but they are interesting. Enjoy!

Water Fountain #1

Location: Section 125

Number Of Installed Fountains: 2

Number Of Functional Fountains: 1

Number Of People Filling Up More Than One Water Bottle: 4

Approximate People Waiting In Line: 20

Time Spent In Line: 10 Minutes

Water Fountain #2

Location: Section 103

Number Of Installed Fountains: 2

Number Of Functional Fountains: 2

Number Of People Filling Up More Than One Water Bottle: 0

Approximate People Waiting In Line: 0! (read more below)

Time Spent In Line: 0 Minutes!

This water fountain is in a hidden corner of the BJC, hence the nonexistent line. Major props if you can find it.

Water Fountain #3

Location: Section 109

Number Of Installed Fountains: 2

Number Of Functional Fountains: 1

Number Of People Filling Up More Than One Water Bottle: 2

Approximate People Waiting In Line: 7

Time Spent In Line: 5 Minutes

Water Fountain #4

Location: Section 119

Number Of Installed Fountains: 2

Number Of Functional Fountains: 2

Number Of People Filling Up More Than One Water Bottle: 2

Approximate People Waiting In Line: 6

Time Spent In Line: 4 Minutes

***

Average Time Spent In Line: 4.75 Minutes

Average Number Of People In Line: 8 and a quarter… so let’s go with 9.

One final statistic that might make all of these minutes in line worth it:

The cost of a single, plastic water bottle at the BJC: $3, $6 if you want a liter of water.