Cool, Safe Drinking Fountain Water on a Hot Day

Cooler drinking fountain water would be nice, wouldn’t it? Cleaner drinking fountain water might be even nicer. The water quality of glaciers sounds best!

How would you test your park’s drinking fountain water, though? There are water quality chemical testing kits for the home, but could you use one at the park?

Safe Drinking Fountain Water

Whether your drinking fountain water is cool or not, you want it to be safe. You want to pause in your jogging and take a drink without wondering how many germs, viruses, chemicals and other pollutants you just swallowed.

You want your drinking fountain water to meet all government safety guidelines, but does it? For example, did you know this?

* People installing drinking fountains do not always follow government safety measures, resulting in serious violation of regulations and/or disease.

* Germs and viruses are common in drinking fountain water.

* People often wash their faces in drinking fountain water, placing mouths and other parts of the face against the bubbler (spout).

Old-fashioned Drinking Fountain Water

In the beginning of the 20th century, drinking fountain water often made people ill. Most bubblers had a vertical flow then, allowing for more germs. When the illnesses were tracked to drinking fountain water, the government found that the vertical flow bubbler was the same as a cup. In other words, you might as well use a public cup for your drinking fountain water. New regulations were set forth, and the vertical bubbler became illegal.

Later in the century, drinking fountain water was found to contain lead from lead pipes. Since lead had been proven harmful to human health, the government acted again, regulating the pipes of drinking fountains.

Modern Drinking Fountain Water

Today, regulations have been extended further, and drinking fountain water often flows through a filter before reaching the bubbler. Bubblers have been covered to prevent lips or the flow of water from the lips to splash on the spout. Space has been allowed for placing a cup under the bubbler. Lower fountains have been provided for children and the handicapped. Drinking fountain water has become more accessible and cleaner for everyone.