Hey Balanced Life Family,
Have you thought twice before using a public drinking water fountain? They are, after all, provided by your city so they have to be clean, right? Actually, they might not be. One of the dirtiest public water fountains may be your child’s school drinking fountain. Now, that is a frightening concept.
The truth is that some studies have found that public water fountains harbor more germs than the water in a toilet bowl. Now, I don’t know how accurate these studies are, but they certainly make me stop and think.
People spit in these fountains, throw trash in them or put their mouths directly on the spigot. I actually saw a guy who had been walking bare foot, put his feet in a fountain to wash them. Positively disgusting! Then shortly thereafter, I saw a little boy come by that same fountain and drink. Yick! The price you pay when you don't know.
Water fountain handles were found to be among the most contaminated surfaces. This isn't entirely surprising, since any frequently touched public surface is likely to be a reservoir for bacteria, especially if its cleaning gets overlooked, which might be the case with drinking water handles.
If you're healthy and your immune system is strong, your risk of catching a disease from a water fountain is low. But what about ingesting the water itself? Well, a sip here and there isn't likely to cause you much harm however, it’s just good to be aware and be careful.
I personally avoid drinking from public water fountains unless an extreme emergency arises. I just don’t trust them to be clean enough. So when it comes to drinking from a public fountain, just as yourself the question, HOW CLEAN IS THAT FOUNTAIN?
