How to Choose the Correct Water Drop By Drop 01

There is no single solution to all water-quality concerns; the best response is the safest and most cost-effective approach for your facility. When questions about water quality arise, the first step is diagnosis. Start by getting a free copy of the latest water-quality report from the local water supplier. The report should note any contaminants that are in excess of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.To find out more, have a professional such as a water specialist certified by the Water Quality Association (WQA) analyze your water for aesthetic problems such as taste, odor, or hardness.


A state-certified or other laboratory can test water for health-related contaminants such as lead, nitrates, and bacteria.Once you've determined the problem, the next step is to select the most appropriate solution. Generally, there are three approaches: drinking fountains, bottled water, and filtration devices. Possibly the most common option, drinking fountains suffer from a bad rap. While they are increasingly adaptable to filtration systems that help ensure clean water, many consumers worry about sanitation because hands and mouths directly touch the faucet.Bottled water, by contrast, tops the list of consumer favorites. Bottled water is protected by a multi-barrier approach that is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). Water coolers can provide cool and hot water as well as spring, filtered, distilled, and even carbonated water.


They are effective even in the event of a water system shutdown. And coolers can be placed anywhere in the building, regardless of structural constraints. But this flexibility can create logistical nightmares for the delivery person or maintenance, who may have to maneuver around a series of docks, elevator banks, and corridors to deliver the 20-gallon bottles. Plus, bottled water is often the most expensive option, especially when you add in the cost of a maintenance agreement to sanitize dispensers, which helps prevent bacterial growth.While the water is purified, once the bottles are open, germs can enter as the bottle is uncapped and as it bubbles, sucking in nearby air and airborne germs. The IBWA recommends cleaning the dispenser every two to three months. Filtration devices can treat the water as it enters the facility (called Point of Entry or POE) or at the individual tap (known as Point of Use or POU).