Water-Cooler Cleaning

Water-Cooler Cleaning

Every year in October, the ever popular drinking-water taste-test is held by the BNL Drinking-Water Quality Committee during the two-day Healthfest health, safety and fitness fair. So, that means that, every year in preparation for the taste-test, the staff of the Water Treatment Facility (WTF) collects samples of the “brands” of the water to be tasted and borrows water coolers from around site to dispense the different brands.

Before being used for the taste-test, each and every one of these coolers, however, has required and received a thorough cleaning because of the build-up of dirt and mold.

Some of the on-loan coolers are less hygienic than others, but none was worse than one of the coolers borrowed in 2001. To put it mildly, that cooler was grossly contaminated. Upon its return, the problem was pointed out to the staff of the office that owned it.

Following that revelation, a Lesson Learned Communication was developed. As part of learning that lesson Lab-wide, a water-cooler cleaning procedure was developed and a fact sheet on the importance of keeping water coolers contamination-free was prepared and distributed.

As the Lesson Learned Communication, in part, notes:

• Never assume that a bottled water cooler is clean and/or disinfected

• Ensure that regular and effective cleaning and disinfection of the bottled-water cooler is performed, using an effective and approved procedure on the recommended schedule

• Wash hands before using a water cooler; keep hands, glasses, cups, sports bottles, and other containers out of contact with the water cooler’s spigots; and encourage other cooler users to do likewise.