Santa Clara County adopts water bottle filling station ordinance

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors last week adopted an ordinance that requires the installation of new water bottle filling stations where drinking fountains are required in private commercial development projects in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The ordinance is a local amendment to the California Plumbing Code that includes the installations of water bottle filling stations for new construction or renovations in government facilities and commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.

"Increasing water consumption in our community starts by providing fresh, accessible, and free water where residents work and gather," said County of Santa Clara Supervisor Ken Yeager, who introduced the ordinance. "Encouraging residents to drink water instead of sugar-loaded beverages will help us curb the obesity crisis facing Santa Clara County."

Also known as "hydration stations" or "drink tap stations," bottle filling stations are locations where water bottles can be filled with potable water. The stations are designed so water bottles can be placed below a downward facing water tap, and be filled with potable water activated by a sensor or manual button. Unlike water fountains, water filling stations are attractively designed to provide clean, safe drinking water, as the water tap is often protected and the water provided is usually filtered and chilled.

"We want to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to provide a convenient way to fill reusable water bottles with clean potable water," said board President Mike Wasserman, who is vice chair of the Board's Housing, Land Use Environment and Transportation Committee. "This new requirement will make clean drinking accessible for Santa Clara County residents and visitors."

Despite the belief that bottled water is a safer source of drinking water, studies have shown the potential for contamination and exposure to toxins can be higher than tap water. In comparison with municipal tap water, bottled water has a substantial environmental impact, as petroleum is needed for the creation of disposable plastic water bottles, as well as extensive energy and materials for packaging and transportation.

According to the Container Recycling Institute, while most water bottles are recyclable, more than 85 percent of plastic water bottles become garbage or litter. Like tap water, water bottle filling stations have a smaller environmental footprint and represents substantial savings to consumers.

The county ordinance would apply to new buildings, additions to buildings, and instances where building permits are required to change the occupancy of a building (for example, from a barn to a reception facility). The ordinance would only apply to commercial buildings or buildings in unincorporated Santa Clara County where the existing California Building code requires the installation of drinking fountains.

"Under the new ordinance, bottle water filling stations will be installed at a ratio of one water bottle filling station per each floor applicable to construction projects required by the California Building Code to install drinking fountains," said Nash Gonzalez, director of the Department of Planning and Development. "Our goal is to support those involved in new commercial projects or renovations to ensure they install stations that are highly visible and accessible."

Bottle filing stations are usually installed using one of two design options: Either as a stand-alone station or a station integrated together with a drinking fountain. The product and installation costs for bottle filling station will depend upon the design type (from stand-alone to integrated fountain/water bottle filling), location (water piping extensions might be required) and features, such as filtration cooling systems, which will require ongoing maintenance associated with routine replacement of filters.

The county's Facilities and Fleet Department has already begun incorporating hydration units in county facilities remodeling projects.

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Santa Clara County adopts water bottle filling station ordinance