Drinking water
Advice on the supply of drinking water in the University.
Legal requirement
Under the requirements of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 employers have a duty to provide an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water.
In this University the Estates and Buildings Department have ensured this by supplying cold water that is of potable standard throughout the University estate, be its origin from a suitably maintained tank or a mains pipe supply.
Therefore, unless there occurs some external problem in the supply of water from Scottish Water to the University, which would of course be of a temporary nature and beyond the University's control, all cold water supplies within the University are supplied to drinking water standard.
University Drinking Water Policy 2009
Adopted by the University Court on 25th May 2009
- 1. Free-standing Bottled Water Coolers should not be located on University premises.
- Existing units should be removed.
- 2. Staff should draw off water for drinking from identified Drinking Water Taps.
- If chilled water is required refillable bottles of tap water should be placed in a fridge to cool.
- 3. Drinking water points should be provided in convenient locations and clearly identified.
- 4. Caterers serving University premises should no longer provide bought-in bottled water.
- Drinking water for meetings and events should be provided in jugs or in bottles filled from the tap. These may be cooled in a fridge beforehand if the weather is very hot.
- 5. Only in exceptional circumstances should Plumbed-in Water Coolers be installed.
- Only approved units must be installed and under supervision of Estates & Buildings with installation and running cost paid by requesting School or admin unit.
- 6. A rolling programme of testing of potability of water from drinking water taps to be undertaken.
Full policy available from the Estates and Builings website and all enquiries should be directed to them in the first instance.
Water coolers and dispensing machines
This guidance has mainly been superseded by the introduction of the new Drinking Water Policy by the Estates and Buildings Department in 2009 which allows bottled or mains fed water machines only in special circumstances.
However, if your department does have a bottled or mains fed water machine, please ensure you follow the guidance provided below.
This article was published on Jul 14, 2010