PORTSMOUTH — Pennfield School students Tuesday received the gift of shiny, new water bottles to use in conjunction with the school’s new water dispenser.

Before the holiday break, the school’s sustainability educator, Cindy Hallowell, challenged Pennfield students to raise enough funds to purchase the water dispenser through a school-wide dress-down day, according to Rob Kelley, head of school.

The special water dispenser counts how many bottles are being saved from going to the landfill or having to be recycled, he said.

Because of the students’ enthusiasm for the unique dispenser, the event generated more than enough funds to purchase the dispenser and have it installed, Mr. Kelley said.

As an incentive for the students and faculty to use the new dispenser, Pennfield’s sustainability program in turn gifted them with new water bottles that they can refill over and over again, as well as take note of the number of plastic bottles they have saved.