How to estimate water usage?

Question about energy usage of new "Evive" water stations...?

• At my university we got these things called Evive Stations. Pretty much, this company gives you a reusable water bottle for free. There are four stations at our university you can go which clean and sanitize your bottle, and fill it with cold, filtered water. You watch targeted ads on a TV built in to the station, which is how they provide the bottles at no cost. The whole idea behind it is that you're being environmentally friendly because you're not using plastic water bottles. I think it's a really cool idea, and I even got a bottle, but I had a few questions regarding the legitimacy that it is really environmentally friendly 1. The machines are huge (bigger than a soda machine), and have a built in 20" TV which shows the ads. How much energy is this thing using? Our town has a coal power plant. 2. Obviously a lot of people recycle plastic bottles, but I'm sure a majority just throw them away. So if you're the kind of person who recycles, is this thing actually leaving behind a bigger carbon footprint? 3. Producing the water bottles, transporting the stations, the transportation of employees, etc. all leave behind a carbon footprint. So is this increased energy usage being made up for by how many plastic water bottles aren't thrown away? 4. I don't even buy bottled water. Aren't I just leaving a bigger carbon footprint behind by using this machine? You can find more information about them at evivestation.com

• Answer:

  Psst, bottled water (even reusable bottled water) is a huge energy scam. The average "Evive" vending machine uses as much power as an inefficient 1985 Sears Coldspot deep freezer running at full capacity. The whole point behind a "Evive" water station is convert eco-guilt into cold cash from the growing pool of eco-suckers.