Elizabeth Royte, author of the book Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, offers a convincing argument for more water fountains, noting that Minneapolis and San Francisco are moving ahead with projects. She also debunks squeamish concerns that water fountains are unsanitary.

Here’s an excerpt from her May 23rd/08 article in the New York Times:

“An entire generation of Americans has grown up thinking public faucets equal filth, and the only water fit to drink comes in plastic, factory sealed. It’s time to change that perception with public fountains in the city’s busiest quadrants, pristine bubblers that celebrate the virtues of our public water supply, remind us of our connection to...watersheds and reinforce our commitment to clean water for all.

On a more practical note: let’s make them easy to maintain, with water pressure adequate to fill our reusable bottles. And germophobes, relax: city water is chlorinated, and experts report that pathogens impolitely left on spigots by the lips of preceding drinkers don’t creep down into pipes. In other words, the bubbling water is clean, so get over it.”

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