Denver-based FloWater reported that more than 6,000 FloWater Refill Stations are now connected and operating nationwide. They have filled over 350 million bottles over the past decade, the company estimated.
Bathroom doors, cafeteria trays and tables, computers, desks and gym equipment are all on the ‘germiest’ list, FloWater pointed, but of all the places tested in an NSF International study, water fountains (both in the classroom and in the cafeteria) won as the most germ-infested surfaces in school environments.
Fountains are 800 times "germie" than a toilet seat. A classroom water fountain spigot had approximately 2.7 million bacterial colony forming units (CFU) per square inch, compared with 3,200 on a school toilet seat.
The latest FloWater Refill Stations are freestanding and connect to any potable water line within 100 feet. This means most schools can simply replace their old water fountains or jug dispensers in the same location.
