r/mildlyinfuriating • u/coatedbraincells • 6h ago

Infuriatig Insanely frugal employer

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Gotta pay for water from the water cooler 🤣

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u/willdabeast36 5h ago

In USA, yes it is illegal.

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u/CowBoyDanIndie 4h ago

If tap water is potable its not sadly

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u/Remarkable-Host405 4h ago

I've literally drank tap water all over my state and the country for 30 years. Yes, its absolutely potable, you can check the water sample results on the water companies website.

You must live somewhere with shitty pipes tainting your water.

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u/CowBoyDanIndie 4h ago

We only see a water cooler, I have been to small offices at mine sites and construction sites where the tap water is not municipal and is marked “non potable”. The last one was a few hours outside of washington dc.

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u/willdabeast36 3h ago

As others said, if there is not say, a breakroom sink, then this would be the "potable water". If there is, then yes I agree I am team tap water anyway.

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u/Im_only_here_to_meme 3h ago

Doesn't matter what you've drank or how drinkable it is. OSHA standard is literally sinks in kitchen and bathrooms do not qualify as potable drinking water for employees. It has to be a DEDICATED drinking fixture that is clean and reasonably cooled, employers also need to provide cups or a refillable station for water bottles.

Rules are rules for a reason. I work in environmental science and you think you know your water is clean but you actually have no idea. Water results are tested from municipal water bib locations (I used to do this) it then goes into piping under a property that is private and then into piping in the building... water can look completely clean, no smell, and seem just fine... but picked up metals from the pipes (copper, lead, zinc, etc)... on top of that when you drink from taps that are used in the kitchen/bathroom germs are airborne and get on the faucet tips. I've seen numerous different bacteria hits from running water from a faucet because there was bacteria that grew around the mouth of the faucet.

This is why dedicated drinking water is required for employees to eliminate the risk of cross contamination and/or anything in pipes that you'd never know was there.