Drinking Fountain Requirements

Water fountains are a common sight in almost all buildings that you go into, mostly because it's required. There are a lot of rules regarding what sorts of water fountains you have to have, and when you have to have them. While by no means a complete list, some of these rules are listed below.

Number of Fountains

• In most buildings, there must be at least one water fountain per floor. This is an important consideration for those who are considering changing over from stand alone water coolers to permanently installed drinking fountains. If you want to have multiple fountains on a single floor though, there isn't a rule as to the maximum number you can have. Nor, for that matter, is there a rule as to how far apart the fountains have to be placed.

Clearance

• There has to be at least one fountain that's accessible to those in wheelchairs. The height requirement for these fountains is that the spout must be no higher than three feet (36 inches) from the floor. It's also required that these fountains have some way for those in wheelchairs to access them. There should be clearance underneath the fountain for the wheelchair and the drinker's body, or if the fountain is solid then there should be between 30 and 48 inches of space alongside it that allows the fountain to be reached by wheelchair.

Water Flow

• There are even rules and regulations regarding the flow of water in a drinking fountain. For instance, if the drinking fountain has a round basin, then the water should fall no more than three inches from the lip of the basin. Additionally, the water should reach a height of at least four inches so that a cup or other container can be slid beneath the fountain to catch the water.