Best Practices for Installation of Drinking Water Filter Stations in Schools and Child Care Facilities

Drinking water filter stations can provide a reliable source of safe, sustainable drinking water in schools and child care facilities. Filter stations with filter cartridges certified to NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction are an effective way to ensure lead that is lurking in building plumbing is removed before children take a drink. Hands-free bottle filling stations reduce the number of little hands touching water dispensers, and they reduce the spread of germs. Michigan Senate Bills 184 and 185, voted out of committee today, would require the use of drinking water filter stations and filtered taps in schools and child care facilities throughout Michigan.

Safe Water Engineering, in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council, created a  comprehensive summary of best practices for ensuring that drinking water filter stations are successfully installed and maintained. The best-practice checklist covers:

·        Planning

·        Selection and installation of filtered bottle-filling stations

·        Water sampling and communications plans

·        Filter maintenance plan

·        Program implementation

·        Preparing written protocols for maintenance

A little planning is necessary to get the best benefit from these drinking water filter stations. This checklist provides a set of best practices that schools, child cares, and any facility considering the use of drinking water filter stations should incorporate when installing these devices to provide reliable lead free drinking water. It’s consistent with the bill requirements to help facilities that are already in the process of installing drinking water filter stations ensure their investment will meet potential new requirements. 

Schools and child care facilities can download a copy of the best practices checklist here.