Can the 12" slab saw be used with only water as a coolant? We require an oil free saw. This is used in Geology research at the University of Washington

So the issue you will run into is the power feed mechanism (the vise components, crossfeed, and power feed). You'd have to generously grease all moving components frequently. Even then, some of them might seize or corrode. Also, the blade cannot sit in water, it will corrode and rust the blade.