We need to drink water every single day, it is an absolute requirement for our physical health and well-being. In the last decade, there has been an unfortunate trend in which people receive their daily water from disposable plastic bottles, creating a big mess! There is a better way though, that you might remember from back in your school days – good old-fashioned drinking fountains!
In past decades this convenient water source could be found all over the place, in public parks and buildings, in schools and offices, even in private homes, but for a time the presence of drinking fountains went into decline, despite their many advantages. Fear not, though, for this humble dispenser of cool, clean water is now undergoing a welcome resurgence as Australia’s climate continues to grow hotter and temperatures rise!
It’s important that the water from a drinking fountain is safe to drink at all times. There are a wide variety of models available built to suit any situation, from a high-necked bottle filler for the school’s gymnasium and public parks to bubblers with anti-bacterial rubber mouth guards for offices and public buildings. It’s necessary to ensure that the fountain is located well away from lavatories to avoid contamination and that the water is always freely available without a charge. The water itself must be filtered and be available at a temperature below 24C. The water must also be supplied in a hygienic way, either shooting up or flowing down, depending on the unit’s design.
Drinking fountains are an eco-friendly and economical way to make sure people have free, easy access to drinking water and can stay properly hydrated. We need to reduce our use of throwaway plastic bottles that produce environment-polluting plastic waste and also add to greenhouse gas emissions caused by their manufacture and transport.
When choosing a drinking fountain the following are some of the factors to consider:
- Materials– What kind of materials is it constructed from? Are they safe and strong?
- Filters – Can more than one type of filter be fitted? How often do they need changing?
- Construction – How strong and sturdy is the fountain’s construction? An office lobby won’t need to have one that’s as rugged as what a busy public park would need.
- Security – How resistant to vandalism is the fountain’s construction and design? Is it easy to damage or even steal?
- Cooling – What are the capabilities of the fountain’s cooling unit? Can it continue to keep the water at a properly cool temperature even on a scorching hot day?
- Style – A bottle-filling style might be great for outdoor parks and school grounds, while a bubbler would serve better indoors in an office or school hallway setting.
Municipalities all over Australia are increasingly looking to the presence of drinking fountains as a way to promote public health and reduce pollution, check out this Victoria Public Health missive for an example of this kind of program. Water is one of the most important resources that a society must have, and drinking fountains help us all to enjoy the refreshing taste of clean, life-giving water.
