Ewwwww…… Yuck!

Could bacteria really live in the trusty water coolers at work or in your home? Unfortunately we have to say… “YES.”

Think of it this way: When you swap out the large, cumbersome jugs when the current jug runs out of water, the feeder tube that will stick into the new jug gets exposed to the air… and whatever bacteria, viruses and or airborne biologicals happen to blow around in the room that day.

Over time any of those nasty little buggers that land on the feeder tube and wind up in the fresh jug of water could multiply to dangerously high numbers in the water cooler. Zero disinfectants in the water creates an excellent place for bacteria to start a family!

To make matters worse, the area AFTER the feeder tube down inside the water cooler can also become a nice place for bacteria and other nasties to raise a family… which could one day wind up in your supposedly safe glass of drinking water.

Moral of the story?

If you cannot determine the last time anyone cleaned the inside of the water cooler, you may want to test the water it dispenses for potentially harmful bacteria with a kit like the WaterSafe Water Cooler Test Kit.

Testosterone-laden guys around the office may have no problem lifting a new bottle onto the water cooler each time the old one runs out of water, since it makes them look ‘manly’ and allows them to show off their big, strong muscles.

… but do they clean the top of the water bottle before dropping it down into the reservoir area? If not, then some of the dust which settled on the water jug while it sat around waiting to get used could end up in the water cooler’s reservoir.

… but do they check for and/or pay attention to the ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date stamped on the bottle? Bottled water jugs have those, ya’ know.

… but do they ever clean out the reservoir area so that a biofilm (filled with things you ought not drink!) does not grow?

… but do they ever bother to wipe off the spigot/faucet after they, or someone else, accidentally bumps the lip of their personal mug against it… thus allowing their saliva and all that it may contain to get into the next person’s cup?

We could go on, but we also think you get our point. Water coolers, if properly cleaned (some experts suggest cleaning the reservoir and spigot/faucet areas with every changing of the bottle), can provide a whole lot of pure, clean drinking water.

Improperly and/or infrequently cleaned water coolers, on the other hand, can become breeding grounds for bacteria, germs, and all sorts of little nasties capable of causing illness.

Testing the Purity of Water in the Water Cooler?

Yes, you can do that. Keep in mind that most bottled water manufacturers filter the water they sell and remove impurities such as metals, chlorine, chloramines, nitrates, nitrites, etc. before bottling their product so testing for those items might not prove useful.

Testing for bacteria in the water cooler might make more sense. In the absence of chlorine or another sanitizing agent, even a minute number of bacteria which may accidentally make their way into the bottled water at the factory or on its way to your water cooler have ample opportunity to reproduce and become a threat to your health.

Additionally, and as we have already discussed, dust containing bacteria living on the tops of bottles has a chance to make its way into the reservoir area if no one bother to clean them off before use. Once in a moist chlorine-free environment, well, the bacteria will breed like… bacteria.

Our thought process changed after reading some interesting statisitics including, but not limited to, how often water cooler fixtures get cleaned, storage times for water cooler bottles before use, storage conditions for water cooler bottles before use, etc.

Some people, including ourselves, have started to shy away from public water coolers and instead use personal water filtration devices such as washable, refillable water bottles with Level 2 Filters. Most tap water contains a low level of sanitizer which keeps it bateria-free and the filters in our personal water bottles remove the residual sanitizer, and other nasty things such as metals, from the tap water right before we consume it — making it as freshly purified as possible.

Grip Sport Bottle with Level 2 Filter

Sports Bottle with Level 2 Filter

Level 2 Filter Replacement Cartridges