Water purity and freshness
Bacteria can grow in the water bottles of dispensers whenever these are left standing a room temperature for a few days or more (hence, you should ensure bottles are turned over quickly). It means that your tap water could be cleaner than the water in the dispenser bottles.
Cost: What we have found in practice
For 8 dispensers: The bottled water dispensers will typically cost around £7,000 per annum. Plumbed in water dispensers might cost c.£2,500 per year (i.e. doubling the number of plumbed in dispensers at a site does not mean that the costs double).
An alternative would be for you to upgrade your bottled dispenser to the premium model plumbed in dispenser whilst still saving costs and improving the quality of your drinking water. Prices are subject to quote for your specific circumstances and may not apply.
Supplying Bottles to machines
A substantial hidden cost to businesses is incurred in ordering bottles, receiving them, storing full and empty bottles and chasing bottle orders that go missing or are delayed. Staff must also lift heavy bottles to machines (always remembering to remove the sticky label at the mouth of the bottle to prevent damaging the dispenser). The hidden cost could be be in the order of £100 to £400 per dispenser per year on top of the visible rental costs.
Water Branding
Tap water that is purified by high quality filters to a set specification within a plumbed in water dispenser lacks the mystery of 'mineral water', 'spring water' or 'bottled water'. However filtered drinking tap water can be purer,taste better, does not run out, make better drinks and is generally substantially cheaper. It can also avoid re-ordering, storing and lifting heavy bottles.
Pollution
Bottled Water Dispensers need regular deliveries of new bottles. Weekly bottle supplies for the bottled water coolers installed in the UK is adding tonnes of unnecessary CO2 into the atmosphere.
Last Updated: April 14, 2008
