Drinking fountains spread germs, should be avoided

Thirsty? Think again Drinking fountains are extremely dirty and should be avoided

NYLA MARCOTT

MANAGING & NEWS EDITOR A s students approach the water fountain, bend down and take a big gulp of water, they are blissfully unaware of the student who appeared to swallow the entire faucet moments before. Water fountains are constantly being contaminated with germs, putting everyone at risk.

People fail to consider that placing their faces near a repeatedly used water spigot and drinking whatever sprays into their mouths may not be the best idea. Amid the health concerns associated with the coronavirus, one of the earliest actions public officials took to protect the public was to shut down drinking fountains.

According to a study by The Public Health and Safety Organization, water fountains are the dirtiest places in schools. Water fountain spigots were found to be dirtier than bathroom sinks and toilet seats.

“I would not drink out of the school water

fountains because when I sit on the bench in the hallway, I have seen students cough, sneeze and spit near the opening, and it is not a pleasant sight,” Health and Physical Education teacher Nathan Worek said.

Students have also observed unsanitary drinking fountain use.

“[I have seen students] put food in the water fountains...[as well as] napkins and tissues,” freshman Sydney Kosco said.

Drinking fountains are used hundreds of times a day with spikes in their usage during lunches and passing periods. The fountains are not cleaned nearly enough for the frequency of their use.

“The water fountains are cleaned daily by our evening custodial staff,” said Director of Student Activities Gregory Miller, who oversees the school building and custodians. “It is my belief that [the drinking fountains] are [cleaned sufficiently]. I have never received a complaint that they are dirty.”

A single daily cleaning is insufficient for how often the drinking fountains are used. If people only drank from fountains during the school day, they would be used for seven hours without being cleaned. This issue is compounded by the fact that the fountains are also used before and after school.

“When the school is occupied, it may be hard to keep [the drinking fountains] constantly clean during the day,” said Mark Eggers, McLean’s building engineer.

Although the risk of getting sick can be reduced by proper water fountain use, this does not ensure the safety of users. In a recent New York Times article, virologist Angela Rasmussen advised readers to avoid using water fountains during the current pandemic.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, I wouldn’t consider drinking from a fountain,” Eggers said. “Until the...pandemic is 100% resolved and behind us, I feel that all public drinking fountains everywhere should be shut down.”

Water bottle fillers can be a good alternative to drinking fountains, but they pose many of the same risks as drinking fountains because of improper use.

“The water bottle filler was a great addition [to the school],” Worek said. “That being said, I sometimes see students drinking out of the water bottle filler option, which is a turn-off.”

Times have changed. If students return to school in August, no one can afford to take the risk of potentially spreading illness through dirty fountains. To ensure everyone’s safety, drinking fountains need to be cleaned multiple times a day and students must treat them properly.

“I will not [use the drinking fountain when we return to school],” Kosco said. “So many people use the water fountains and so there are so many germs covering them that I will probably never touch one again unless I have to.”

Health risks associated with water fountains can be reduced by proper use, but do you really want to put your health in the hands (and mouths) of the person who last used the fountain?