15.04.2026
As part of the project “Drop of Meaning: A Model for Sustainability at the University”, new filtered drinking water stations with bottle-refill functionality have been installed in the building of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA) at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The stations are located on the second, third and fourth floors and are now available to all users of the building.
The “Drop of Meaning”project is aimed at fostering a sustainable culture of responsible water use in an academic environment. Its central idea is to combine infrastructure-based solutions, digital visualisation, educational activities and behavioural approaches so that water is understood not merely as an everyday resource, but as a value whose use should be conscious, measurable and responsible. The project places particular emphasis on overcoming distrust in tap water, reducing reliance on bottled water, and limiting plastic waste in the Faculty building. In this sense, the initiative brings together environmental, educational, social and demonstrative dimensions and has the potential to become a viable model for application in other public and educational institutions as well. The initiative is implemented by the Alumni Club, with financial support from the BCause Foundation’s “Drop by Drop” programme, in partnership with the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and Sofiyska Voda AD, part of Veolia.
The newly installed stations will provide more than 2,000 people - students, academic staff, administrative staff, alumni and visitors to the Faculty - with access to high-quality filtered drinking water, without concerns related to the presence of mechanical impurities. In this way, the Faculty is expanding practical access to a convenient, safe and sustainable water source that encourages the use of personal bottles, supports refill culture and promotes the repeated use of plastic bottles.
The stations were supplied by ChMK Ltd., an importer of systems manufactured by one of the world’s most reputable producers of drinking water solutions. Their commissioning marks an important practical step in the implementation of the project: a transition from intention to functioning infrastructure capable of influencing everyday behaviour in a real university setting.
The benefits of installing these systems are multidimensional. First, they provide broader and more equitable access to quality drinking water throughout the building. Second, they create a genuine alternative to bottled water and thus support the reduction of plastic waste as well as the carbon footprint associated with it. Third, the stations reinforce the project’s educational and behavioural logic by making the sustainable option visible, easy and accessible. It is precisely this visible infrastructure that has a strong demonstrative effect: when a sustainable solution is close at hand, convenient and reliable, the likelihood that it will be embraced as a new standard of behaviour increases significantly.
Special recognition should be given to the fact that this stage of the project would not have been possible without the exceptionally diligent, precise and purposeful work of Mr. Boyan Petrov, Facility Manager of the Faculty building, and his team. Thanks to their coordination, commitment and professional approach, the new stations were successfully integrated into the building environment through optimal technical solutions, carefully aligned both with the characteristics of the existing infrastructure and with the need to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the Faculty.
It is particularly noteworthy that, thanks to a high level of organisation and professionalism, all three stations were installed flawlessly within a single day, without disrupting the ongoing processes in the building. This stands as a clear example of effective internal coordination, solid technical preparation and the practical capacity to implement sustainable solutions in a real university environment.
With the installation of the stations, the project is now entering its final phase, during which changes in attitudes and behaviour among the building’s users will be monitored and assessed. This is where the project acquires its deepest where the project acquires its deepest significance: not only by providing access to filtered water, but also by raising the question of why bottled water is so often perceived as the “natural” choice. To a considerable extent, this pattern of behaviour has been shaped by long-term marketing communication and by the positioning of bottled water as a norm through producers’ strategies. The “Drop of Meaning” project, as part of the BCause Foundation’s “Drop by Drop” programme, offers a different perspective - one grounded in accessibility, trust, knowledge and tangible change in the environment.
In this sense, the installed stations are not merely a technical solution, but also an invitation to rethink. An invitation to reflect on how we use water, what we accept as “normal”, and how we may change our everyday behaviour in the direction of greater sustainability. Water is not simply a matter of convenience. It is a resource whose true value becomes most visible when placed in the context of responsibility.
That is why the project is united around one simple but powerful message: Every drop matters.
Every drop of water that passes through taps, toilet cisterns, filtration systems and the daily habits of the people in the building matters. And how long clean and accessible water will remain available ultimately depends on the behaviour of each of us.
The news item is also available on the Alumni Club website.