Here’s something to talk about around the office water cooler: Office water coolers aren’t as clean as they could be.
A paper published in the journal AIMS Microbiology reported some disquieting findings based on its review of 70 water studies. Water coolers and public water dispensers often contain more bacteria than tap water.
This finding proved true even though many dispensers supposedly filter water.
Researchers found that water coolers and other dispensers often contained bacterial counts above recommended levels.
So, if you thought it was safe to drink straight from the blue jug, guess again.
Blame it, at least partially, on biofilms. These are communities of bacteria living on surfaces. They protect themselves by creating a slimy coating making them resistant to cleaning. And water coolers and their cousins are ideal targets for biofilm formation. The bacteria thrive on plastic tubing and other internal components.
Investigators found that bacterial populations formed even after proper maintenance and treatment. Bacteria would regrow even after disinfection, often after just a couple of days.
Nozzles were ground zero for contamination. Researchers found they were 100 times more contaminated with bacteria than other parts of the dispensers.
Chlorine defeats bacteria in municipal water systems. That isn’t the case with the office water cooler. Bacterial colonies can become resistant to cleaning with time.
A serious problem with dispensers is the stagnation of water for long periods. So, bacteria are undisturbed and can grow unencumbered.
It makes tap water look pretty good.
