Many of us could have a contaminated water supply lurking in our place of work, according to recent research carried out in Britain. The research has shown that as many as one in four water coolers could be a haven for harmful bacteria, in fact 26% of those tested failed to meet safety and hygiene standards.
The survey showed that nine out of the 52 samples from plumbed-in coolers and 14 out of the 35 from bottle-supplied coolers failed because of bacterial contamination.
Samples were taken from offices, schools, leisure centres and care homes. While all the water passed tests for chemical contamination, a surprising number were found to contain unsafe levels of harmful bacteria.
40% of Bottle-fed coolers were failed checks by health and safety officers while plumbed-in water coolers were less likely to be contaminated, with one in six not meeting standards.
The types of bacteria found have the potential to lead to illness, particularly for vulnerable groups. While there are legal regulations in place for bottled water, these are applicable at time of bottling and there is no legislation specifically for plumbed-in water coolers.
