Bottle Filler Drinking Fountain Code

Solving the drinking fountain bottle filler dilemma.

Bottle filler drinking fountain code.

If only one bottle filler is provided at only some drinking fountains or at one bowl of a hi lo unit it is advisable to locate it at the wheelchair accessible unit or bowl. Wheelchair accessible drinking fountains 602 1 602 6. Bottle fillers must comply where provided including when integrated with drinking fountains. Prior to the 2015 ipc the 50 substitution of drinking fountains was only for bottled water coolers.

The low drinking fountain must have the spout located not more than 36 inches above the finished floor. However they are only permitted to be used to replace 50 of the required drinking fountains. In reviewing the ada code and consulting with several engineers we are satisfied that there isn t verbiage that specifically rules out using an in wall bottle filling station instead of a drinking fountain on commercial projects. The usual request from tall people is the higher the better the building code now states there must be a minimum of two drinking fountains.

However there isn t any verbiage that says you can either. Pulling out all standing height drinking fountains and leaving standing persons without drinking fountain access would be a violation of both the plumbing code and ada within the i codes ada requirements are covered by icc a117 1. That means you could have a drinking fountain on one floor and a bottle filler on the next. A child drinking fountain and bottle filling station is the same as an adult fountain it is just mounted at a slightly lower height making it more accessible to children.

Bottle fillers have gained a foothold in the plumbing codes.