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Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association built the first water fountain in 1859. The original design inspired modern drinking water fountains.
In the early 1900s, Halsey Willard Taylor and Luther Haws worked to improve this design to solve contaminated public water supplies. These two men worked endlessly and, in the end, changed how municipalities serve water in public places.
What has society learned as a result? Where developers place drinking water fountains matters, as does why you must ensure your establishment provides these clean drinking water sources.
Key Takeaways:
- Drinking water fountains in the U.S. are a result of the temperance movement. These fixtures began popping up everywhere in the late 1800s. Today, you can find these fixtures in public spaces worldwide.
- Compliance is the number one reason your facility needs drinking water fountains. Federal, state, and local authorities set these regulations. ADA compliance is one example of these regulations.
- Drinking water fountains conserve water. Unlike faucets that require you to turn them off, these fixtures stop running when you release the button.
- Approximately 38 billion plastic water bottles make it into landfills each year. Bottle fillers encourage people to use reusable drinking containers and promote sustainability.
- Less than 1% of the world's water is drinkable. Drinking water fountains provide users access to this increasingly scarce resource. Bottle fillers make them clean water sources.
Where to Place Drinking Water Fountains and Why
Drinking water fountains in America (and the U.K.) are due to the temperance movement, a social effort promoting abstinence from drinking alcohol. These temperance leaders thought adding these fountains would encourage people to drink more water instead of spirits.
People considered it a Victorian success, especially after prohibition began in the U.S. in 1920. Drinking water fountains were enormously popular during this sober time in history.
They continued to grow in popularity even after the prohibition ended, and nearly every public setting offered refreshing drinking water from a fountain. Since the most recent health crisis, people have been more reluctant to use drinking water fountains. Although, for the most part, they are safe.
However, healthcare professionals recommend avoiding unnecessary contact with surfaces like drinking water fountains. Fountains with bottle fillers instead of mouth spouts are more sanitary (more on that in a bit).
Before you evaluate ways to make drinking fountains a safe water source, let's take a moment to review the top locations where you need drinking water fountains:
- Shopping malls, grocery stores, and retail locations
- Government buildings
- Schools and education centers
- Hospitals and medical offices
- Office complexes
- Commercial and industrial buildings
- Apartment buildings, condos, hotels, and motels
Some of these locations must provide access to drinking water fountains, like schools, hospitals, commercial buildings, and some residential structures. Make sure you know the requirements for the type of structure you own or operate.
3 Reasons Why You Need Drinking Water Fountains
Hydration is one reason people need access to drinking fountains. Water dispensers that are quick and easy to use offer a healthy alternative to beverages filled with caffeine, calories, excess sugar, and food colorings like those in coffee, teas, and soda.
While these are healthy reasons to install drinking fountains at your facilities, there are also some practical reasons outside those associated with a person's wellbeing. Here are the top three reasons you need drinking water fountains at your establishments.
1. Compliance
Federal, state, and local authorities require drinking fountains in certain types of commercial and residential buildings. Complying with these laws is the number one reason you should ensure that your facility has these fixtures and the required number according to occupancy.
Along with availability, accessibility is also a requirement. Small children and people with disabilities must be able to reach the fountains. Therefore, you must have at least one ADA-compliant fountain, meaning it is no taller than 36 inches with a knee clearance of 27 inches tall and 8 inches deep.
2. Conservation
Unlike your faucet at home, you cannot leave a drinking water fountain running. Once a person finishes using the fixture, they release the actuator, and the water stops dispensing. That way, this valuable natural resource does not go to waste.
3. Sustainability
Sixty million plastic water bottles make it into landfills daily. That is approximately 38 billion a year. Traditional drinking fountain spouts do not make refilling these or any reusable containers easy. Users can effortlessly use bottle fillers to fill their drinking containers, keep water bottles out of landfills, and promote sustainability.
Ways to Make Drinking Fountains a Safe Water Source
While drinking water fountains are safe to use, they still threaten public health. One solution is to retrofit your existing fountains with bottle fillers that allow users to refill reusable water containers instead of drinking directly from the fixture.
Manufacturers design these fixtures to fill any standard-sized water bottle, and the lever makes it easy for users to fill their bottles without touching the spout.
Less than 1% of the world's water is drinkable, with 68% of the Earth's freshwater locked in polar ice caps. Access to safe drinking water isn't available to everyone.
Drinking water fountains provide users access to this increasingly scarce resource. Retrofitting your fountains with bottle fillers makes these fixtures among the safest clean water sources.
When you purchase a bottle filler from Chicago Faucets, you can trust your fixtures will be:
- Durable, solid brass
- Reliable and easy to maintain
- Flexible height options
- Easy to install
Retrofit Existing Water Fountains with a Bottle Filler by Chicago Faucets
Drinking water fountains have a rich history, and it is not easy to imagine life without them. They are convenient sources to help you get your recommended eight to 10 glasses of water each day.
Chicago Faucets offers durable and sustainable commercial-grade plumbing fixtures. We have bottle and glass fillers that you can retrofit to your current fountains. There is no need to replace your existing units.
If you're considering retrofitting your current fixtures with fittings from Chicago Faucets, contact us today to discuss your options.
