Assessment of the drinking water quality from on-campus water fountains: An evaluation of secondary contamination

BACKGROUND: Drinking water contamination poses a serious public health problem in the United States. For the most part, this problem is attributed to the water delivery system. Drinking water fountains are widespread in the country especially in densely populated areas with many users, such as universities and public schools and hence, can be a significant contributor to the consumption of contaminated water. The purpose of this study was to assess water quality from drinking water fountains in school settings, determine whether the fountains are a source of secondary contamination and evaluate some of the factors that may affect the levels of contaminants. METHODS: Water samples collected from ten water fountains located in five different buildings on WKU campus were analyzed. Each fountain was sampled four times yielding a total of 40 samples for investigation. Levels of Coliform Bacteria, E. coli, lead, copper, pH, temperature and turbidity were assessed for different times of the day and week. A multivariate analysis of covariance was used to compare mean values from each building. RESULTS: Mean concentrations of lead and copper in samples collected on Wednesdays were higher than those collected on Mondays and were also higher in the morning than in the evening samples. After controlling for turbidity and temperature, day of the week had a significant effect at the 0.01 level (p=0.007) on the concentrations of both lead and copper in the water from the sampled fountains. CONCLUSION: The distribution system for drinking water specifically water fountains, is a significant contributor to secondary water contamination. Monitoring agencies should put extra emphasis on the regulations surrounding the choice and maintenance of these systems.