Mizzou Mythbusters: Jones Hall Water
I’d been hearing the infamous rumor since day one: Jones water causes acne.
I went out to Hy-Vee and bought a 2-gallon dispenser of water. If I don’t drink the water, then I won’t break out, right? Wrong.
More rumors swirled that it was the water in the showers, not the drinking fountains. Since everyone seemed to be a little confused, I decided to get to the bottom of this myth.
First, I went to my neighbors in Jones Hall.
Haley Holt, MU freshman and Jones Hall resident, agreed with the rumors, stating: “I never used to break out, and now I’m getting blemishes. I’ve heard it’s because of the water here.”
Kristen Carver, Jones Hall’s student president for floors eight and nine, also said: “I’ve never had acne before, and now I’m getting it a lot. I’ve been avoiding the drinking fountains, but I’m still breaking out.”
When both girls were asked how they think these problems can be fixed, their answers were simple: filter and purify the water.
It was obvious that the residents were all buying into the rumor, but I wanted to dig a little deeper.
Throughout my investigation, people kept correcting me: No, it’s Columbia water in general, not just Jones Hall. What was the truth? I decided to look into both possibilities.
With the Jones Hall coordinator unavailable for an interview, I was left on my own to research and find out for myself.
The City of Columbia, Missouri’s official website has an in-depth report on 2011’s water quality. It provides complete water testing results thorough descriptions of water sources used and the way the tests were administered. More than 4,000 tests are completed at 41 locations throughout Columbia to ensure quality water, which are more than required by law. This proves that the town is paying attention to the water. Okay, so it’s safe to drink … but what about our skin?
My research led me to one answer: water softener. The two types of water, hard and soft, depend on the minerals within it. Hard water has many different dissolved minerals, whereas soft water is treated so that the only mineral in it is sodium. Most modern homes have water softener systems set up to the septic tank in order to filter the water.
What I believe that is going on with Jones Hall water is that it either doesn’t contain a water softener or the water isn’t treated as much as we’re used to at our houses. This means more minerals are interacting with our skin and hair, causing it to break out or change. Our skin will adapt to these changes and soon calm down, but for now, to beat the Jones water curse, try clarifying shampoo.
By: Lindsay Keaton | Image: Source
I went out to Hy-Vee and bought a 2-gallon dispenser of water. If I don’t drink the water, then I won’t break out, right? Wrong.
More rumors swirled that it was the water in the showers, not the drinking fountains. Since everyone seemed to be a little confused, I decided to get to the bottom of this myth.
First, I went to my neighbors in Jones Hall.
Haley Holt, MU freshman and Jones Hall resident, agreed with the rumors, stating: “I never used to break out, and now I’m getting blemishes. I’ve heard it’s because of the water here.”
Kristen Carver, Jones Hall’s student president for floors eight and nine, also said: “I’ve never had acne before, and now I’m getting it a lot. I’ve been avoiding the drinking fountains, but I’m still breaking out.”
When both girls were asked how they think these problems can be fixed, their answers were simple: filter and purify the water.
It was obvious that the residents were all buying into the rumor, but I wanted to dig a little deeper.
Throughout my investigation, people kept correcting me: No, it’s Columbia water in general, not just Jones Hall. What was the truth? I decided to look into both possibilities.
With the Jones Hall coordinator unavailable for an interview, I was left on my own to research and find out for myself.
The City of Columbia, Missouri’s official website has an in-depth report on 2011’s water quality. It provides complete water testing results thorough descriptions of water sources used and the way the tests were administered. More than 4,000 tests are completed at 41 locations throughout Columbia to ensure quality water, which are more than required by law. This proves that the town is paying attention to the water. Okay, so it’s safe to drink … but what about our skin?
My research led me to one answer: water softener. The two types of water, hard and soft, depend on the minerals within it. Hard water has many different dissolved minerals, whereas soft water is treated so that the only mineral in it is sodium. Most modern homes have water softener systems set up to the septic tank in order to filter the water.
What I believe that is going on with Jones Hall water is that it either doesn’t contain a water softener or the water isn’t treated as much as we’re used to at our houses. This means more minerals are interacting with our skin and hair, causing it to break out or change. Our skin will adapt to these changes and soon calm down, but for now, to beat the Jones water curse, try clarifying shampoo.
By: Lindsay Keaton | Image: Source
