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Aug 15, 2023

Should you be drinking water from a water bubbler? We ask the experts

Drinking taps, water fountains or bubblers; whatever you call them, there is a

Drinking taps, water fountains or bubblers; whatever you call them, there is a divide within the community over how hygienic they are to use.

Anna-Marie Shew told ABC Radio Melbourne that, while she is happy to use the ones at the airport, she would never use drinking fountains at a train station or another public space.

"The level of cleanliness and monitoring that is required at an airport means people don't have the opportunity to do nasty things to them," she says.

"Whereas in a public space there is so much opportunity for people to do nasty things."

Melbourne resident John Englart feels any hygiene risks are "very, very low".

As a member of a local environmental group, Mr Englart helped campaign for more drinking fountains in his local area.

"I cycle around, and usually I have my two chihuahuas on board my bicycle," he says.

"I've found public drinking fountains really useful."

So does using bubblers pose a risk to your health?

We spoke to three researchers and academics to get their view.

The Acting Dean of RMIT's School of Science, Professor Mark Osborn, has been researching drinking water for more than 15 years.

He says the water connected to drinking fountains comes from our mains network and is safe to drink.

"We have very, very sophisticated treatment systems to remove the vast majority of microorganisms from the system before we get to drink it," he told ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast.

"It's the same water which is what's actually coming out of the taps within our offices, within our homes."

Prof Osborn says while research has found there is bacteria in drinking fountains, it is not harmful to humans.

"Most people think about microbes as germs, but in reality microbes are all around us," he said.

"We've got more microbes in us and on us than we have cells of our own body, so we need to be changing the perception of who microbes are and what they're doing in our environment."

Senior Research Officer at the Doherty Institute Julie McAuley says because drinking taps are designed so your lips only touch the water, not the metal, any health risk comes from what you do with your hands.

Like any high-touch public surface, if someone has been to the toilet and not washed their hands properly you could be infected by norovirus, salmonella or E. coli.

To be safe, Dr McAuley recommends washing your hands after using a drinking fountain in a high traffic area.

"Scientifically, it always depends on the exact conditions the tap is in as to how safe it's going to be," she says.

"Generally, if the surface becomes dry bacteria dies, and in sunlight bacteria dies. So if it's outside and it's dry I wouldn't consider it contaminated."

Associate Professor at Deakin University's Faculty of Health Stéphane Bouchoucha agrees that if you practice good hand hygiene then drinking fountains are very safe to use.

"The likelihood of contamination from the water is negligible," Dr Bouchoucha says.

He recommends using common sense. If the fountain handle is visibly dirty don't use it, and be mindful of your hands.

"Think about where your hands have been and where they are likely to go," he said.

"Are you going to contaminate the bottle you are drinking from by touching the tap and then touching the opening of the bottle?"