Are public water fountains safe?
Camren Boyer
2025-07-17 08:36:15
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Most of the water that I drink when I am out in the street or in my school comes from drinking fountains because I don’t like buying plastic bottles, as they pollute too much. But recently I have been having stomach problems, with nausea and loss of appetite and I am afraid I may have caught a parasite from the water. Is this possible even when water from drinking fountains is purified?
Jeffrey Doyle
2025-07-12 07:30:49
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In the UK, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) regularly monitors water for safety and quality to make sure it’s safe to drink. This means that for most places the water going into the fountain will be safe, though the cleanliness of the fountain itself is somewhat less certain. A 2020 study of water fountains at schools in North Yorkshire found that 47 fountains in 17 schools were unhygienic and had high bacterial colony counts. While some of these may have been installed in improper environments this does highlight the potential risk of contamination for water fountains. Water fountains aren’t inherently unsafe, their design is more prone to unsafe and wasteful use, such as drinkers’ mouths potentially coming into contact with the bubbler head or large amounts of water literally going down the drain. One often overlooked part of water safety is the maintenance of your dispenser. Regardless of which option you go for, regular upkeep is an essential part of keeping your drinking water free of nasties. While a regularly maintained water fountain in the UK will likely be safe, our water systems provide peace of mind and a consistently great taste.
Jena Ortiz
2025-07-02 03:56:51
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Public water fountains have several different types of bacteria strains that inform how dirty and harmful their use may be. Some bacteria may be innocuous, others are mildly harmful, and others are linked to disease. Water fountains at the airport harbor more than 50,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat. They also found that shopping malls contain the dirtiest water fountains overall, featuring over 30 million colony-forming units of the type of bacteria that can be disease-causing. Regular maintenance and disinfecting of water fountains can keep them clean. Ultimately, as the design of water fountains has evolved, the health risks associated with water fountains have largely been mitigated. Additionally, poor maintenance of a fountain itself is more likely to be the culprit for any illnesses contracted from using a water fountain. The WaterFilterGuru research concluded that the public should educate themselves on the types of bacteria present on different public drinking fountains and make educated, responsible choices accordingly. However, catching a disease from the water fountain itself is rare.
Monroe Doyle
2025-06-23 17:10:30
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The good news is that disease outbreaks from drinking from water fountains in public are exceptionally rare. This, coupled with the advancements in drinking water technology, means there are now more products available that fight bacteria right at the point of dispensing. People may be concerned about the areas around the tap that people touch, such as the basin, and handles. As with any surface - be it a door handle, a petrol pump, or physical money - viruses can live on contaminated surfaces. A drinking fountain is no different. Regular cleaning and maintenance of drinking fountains is important, and most schools, gyms, and public areas should be equipped with the right information about keeping fountains clean. To mitigate risks many drinking fountains and bottle fillers are now designed with push buttons that are away from the dispense point, which avoids the risk of cross-contamination. For example, the barrier-free line of products from Oasis utilise antimicrobial copper technology that fights off microorganisms on key touch point areas to help prevent the spread of disease. The risk of disease from drinking from a fountain is still extremely low, and a sensible approach to hand washing and touching surfaces is still as important as it ever was.
Danyka Dickens
2025-06-23 15:03:36
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The technology used to help reduce the risk of infectious diseases has improved, including slanted jets of water, filters and better maintenance. The main source of contamination is on the knobs and buttons of fountains. The risk of getting herpes from the spout is almost negligible, but for those who feel queasy about any public amenities, it is best to drink from the flowing jet of water, rather than wrapping your lips round the spout. Disease outbreaks from municipal water fountains are extremely rare and tend to be isolated cases involving individuals with an impaired immune system. Modern designs of water fountains are likely to pose a negligible risk to your health.
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