Consumer trends coupled with water cooler innovations can affect your bottom line

BY JACK KRECEK

Water coolers have evolved and improved dramatically over the years -- from the humble, yet inventive beginnings of simply relying on a compartment of ice for cooling in the late 1800s, to the self-contained electric water cooler in 1938 and to the present day pressurized, filtered, hands-free models we now see in schools, healthcare, hospitality and recreational facilities. From its inception to its growing list of innovations today, the water cooler continues to significantly impact how the public conveniently taps into obtaining a free, cool drink of water. As a water cooler manufacturer, I wanted to share my insights on how far the industry has come, noting several hurdles, as well as what the latest trends and innovations may mean for plumbing contractors, specifying engineers, builders and architects.

Emergence of bottled water

Just as water coolers have changed over time, so too has the public’s perception of public drinking water units and their confidence levels in the safety of tap water. First popularized in the 1980s as a convenient, healthy alternative to sugary drinks, the plastic, disposable, single-serving bottled water industry exploded on to the marketplace. Soon, consumers began to buy bottled water under the misconception that it was safer, purer or healthier than tap water. This consumer reliance on bottled water occurred despite the strict regulations set forth when Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (sdwa) in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. The sdwa mandates also regulate water coolers and drinking fountains to ensure they meet strict health, plumbing code, sanitation and environmental standards.

Even with these regulations in place, public drinking fountains and water coolers were soon becoming just an afterthought. This could have been sparked from a lack of education regarding the innovations behind water coolers or perhaps the public was swayed by the deep advertising pockets of plastic, disposable bottled water manufacturers and marketers during the 1990s and early 2000s.
With the growing popularity of single-serving, plastic bottled water and the safety of municipal water in question, water cooler manufacturers focused on developing drinking water solutions that would overcome the public’s perceptions regarding the purity of tap water, while providing plumbing contractors, specifying engineers and architects with hygienic, innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions for end-users.

Visual filtration — the clear solution

One solution that manufacturers developed was filtration systems within the water cooler units to ensure the water’s cleanliness. Manufacturers engineered cost effective and reliable water filtration systems, offering their customers a credible, inexpensive, and easy way to supply filtered water to the public. Now, with several filtered units available in the marketplace, Elkay® Commercial Products took it one step further with the recent introduction of the Visual Filter Monitor Water Cooler unit in 2008.

This hands-free water cooler line is outfitted with a unique LED display on the user interface, visually communicating the presence of a built-in WaterSentry® filtration system. The filtration system serves to decrease the amount of harmful impurities, such as lead, cysts and sediment, from reaching an end-user. The lights along the display alert the end-user that the filter is functioning, to provide peace of mind, and also notify maintenance staff when the filter needs to be replaced. This forward thinking not only provides plumbing contractors with a tangible solution for their customers but also encourages end-users to trust in their water cooler for a cool, refreshing sip of filtered water. With the proper use of filter monitors, which give visual reminders for filter replacement, contractors can also enjoy a larger revenue stream driven by replacement filter cartridges.

Another important enhancement to note is the fact that many manufactures integrate anti-microbial agents within the product design which work to inhibit growth of common bacteria, molds and fungi that cause stains, odors and product deterioration, further reinforcing a hygienic and safe experience at the water cooler.

Efficiently green

The production of filtered water coolers and the addition of anti-microbial agents have enabled end-users to confidently enjoy a healthy, crisp, clean drink at the water cooler for just pennies per gallon for the provider, instead of purchasing a plastic, environmentally taxing water bottle, which can cost anywhere from 89 cents to $2.50 or more for one 16-ounce bottle. By refilling water containers at a filtered water cooler, less bottled water waste ends up in landfills, which is one major success story for water cooler manufacturers.

Perhaps another is what the industry has done in terms of water conservation and energy efficiency. For example, the vrcgrn water cooler by Elkay, the industry’s first GreenSpec® listed Water Cooler is equipped with a low-flow bubbler that provides a thirst-quenching stream of drinking water using 40 percent less water than other water coolers, while the refrigeration compressor on the vrcgrn is more energy-efficient than a standard compressor. When tested during a CSA Standard C-815 “Energy-Performance of Drinking-Water Coolers” in a UL recognized test lab, results indicated that the vrcgrn realized a nearly 55 percent improvement in energy efficiency, when compared to water cooler products using a standard compressor.

Advancements like this not only reduce the impact on the environment, but also provide plumbing contractors, specifiers, architects and builders with the ability to offer top-rated, energy-efficient and environmentally-responsible drinking water solutions, increasing their bottom line and expanding their product offerings for a variety of applications in this ever-growing, ever-changing marketplace.

The return to the public water cooler

In the last few years, awareness of the environment and our impact, whether it be as consumers, contractors, corporations or manufacturers, or all of the above has transpired into a whole new level of eco-awareness. People are increasingly conscious of the impact made on the environment as a result of every choice they make from the building materials in their home, to transportation choices and recycling habits, and even the water they drink. They are also more aware of the environmental impact that results from the millions of plastic bottles that end up in landfills year after year, especially with the influx of headlines blowing the whistle on the lack of health regulations surrounding the bottled water industry. These stories in the media also highlight the financial toll that purchasing bottled water can put on recession-strapped end-users, which has created a resurgence of water cooler and drinking fountain usage.

The public is once again reaching out for an alternative to disposable bottles of water, even creating bans on plastic bottled water usage. In fact, as noted in several media reports over the last year, a number of educational facilities, government affiliated organizations and municipalities have made headlines with their public promises to decrease disposable bottle water usage with the increase of water cooler installations. According to the Huffington Post in July 2009, over the past few years, at least 60 cities in the United States and a handful of others in Canada and the United Kingdom have agreed to stop spending taxpayer dollars on bottled water. Even more intriguing is the entire town of Bundadoon, a rural Australian community, who in the fall of 2009, banned all sales of plastic disposable bottled water within their town — creating the first community in the country — and possibly the world – to take such a drastic step in the growing backlash against the industry.

Today, inspired by the demand for quick, clean and green drinking water, Elkay Commercial Products introduced the EZH2O™ bottle filling station, providing users with an affordable, filtered water option, while also offering plumbing professionals and specifiers high-quality, on-demand drinking water solutions. This bottle filling station provides a rapid fill of cold, filtered water at a rate of 1.1 – 1.5 gpm , which is up to three times faster than a standard drinking fountain, allowing someone to fill a 20-ounce, reusable sports bottle in as little as 6½ seconds! To help end users better visualize and appreciate how much this bottle filling station can save in terms of the number of plastic water bottles not wasted, a green “ticker” on the front of the unit displays the running total of 16-ounce disposable water bottles saved.

Plus, the EZH2O unit is outfitted with a 3,000 gallon capacity filtration system which equates to saving up to 24,000, 16-ounce plastic bottles per filter.

As the green movement continues to gain momentum and end-users resolve to change and improve their habits and lifestyles to do what is best for the environment, a unique door has opened for plumbing contractors and specifying engineers. By educating their customers as well as end-users on the safe, clean, filtered eco-responsible drinking water options available, plumbing contractors and specifying engineers will be able to specify and install the most efficient units for any application. This also allows them to meet and exceed the eco-demands of the end-user, aid in the leed certification of commercial buildings, and offer a more environmentally-friendly, profitable solution within their portfolio of products.

Jack Krecek is vice president and general manager, Elkay Commercial Business Unit. Elkay is an innovative manufacturer of stainless steel sinks and faucets for residential and commercial use. Elkay expanded its commercial offerings more than 38 years ago to include efficient water coolers and drinking fountains.