DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At many schools nationwide, K-12 students and their teachers are in for a completely new drinking water experience as they head back this fall for in-person learning. Gone are the most germ-infested surfaces in school environments—the iconic water fountains, or bubblers, that so many of us grew up with, replaced by fully self-sanitizing and touchless FloWater Refill Stations.
Denver-based FloWater today announces that over 6,000 FloWater Refill Stations are now in place nationwide which have filled over 350 million bottles over the past decade.
Bathroom doors, cafeteria trays and tables, computers, desks, and gym equipment are all on the ‘germiest’ list, but of all the places tested in an NSF International study, water fountains (both in the classroom and in the cafeteria) won as the most germ-infested surfaces in school environments, 800 times ‘germier’ than a toilet seat. A classroom water fountain spigot had approximately 2.7 million bacterial colony forming units (CFU) per square inch, compared to 3,200 on a school toilet seat.
Since the CDC called for the removal of high-touch, communal touch points, such as school water fountains, because of COVID, FloWater has been working with schools across the country to replace them. With new foot pedal technology, FloWater’s already self-sanitizing water refill stations are now completely ‘touchless’, making for a safer, more sanitary drinking water for schoolchildren and their teachers.
Talking advantage of available CARES Act funds, school districts across the country, from California and Colorado to North Carolina and Pennsylvania, are making the switch, and, in the process, upgrading the quality, safety and taste of their drinking water. FloWater’s Advanced Osmosis water purification technology removes up to 99.99 % of all toxins and contaminants in water, including viruses, bacteria, heavy metals like lead and arsenic, chemicals, and microplastics. The FloWater technology also alkalizes and oxygenates the water and adds electrolytes for better hydration. A carbon coconut filter ‘finishes’ the chilled water for a great taste.
“Our Board of Education reviewed multiple options, and hands down, if you consider the ultra-high level of water purification and filtration, the touchless foot pedal technology, ease of installation and taste; the FloWater Refill Station comes out on top,” says Matthew C. Strother, Executive Director of Facilities Maintenance Operations and Transportation at California’s Fontana Unified School District. “ As a fully ADA compliant, ‘plug-in’ option installed by FloWater, we were able to avoid any added carpentry or plumbing costs or compliance delays in the installation.”
The new-tech FloWater Refill Stations are free-standing and easy to install, connecting to any potable water line within 100 feet, meaning that most schools can simply replace their old water fountains or jug dispensers in the same location.
“Since COVID, we have seen explosive demand from school districts as they look to provide safe and healthy hydration for students and staff while also eliminating plastic waste and toxins, like lead, from their drinking water,” says FloWater CEO and Co-Founder, Rich Razgaitis. “Since we introduced our touch-free technology, we have made it easy for them to replace their old water fountains and, at the same time, solve for toxins, heavy metals, microplastics and water taste issues.” Razgaitis also pointed to surveys showing that students drank more water, were better hydrated, had more energy, and consumed less sugary beverages where FloWater Refill Stations were installed.
More information on FloWater’s ‘Touchless’ solution can be found at: www.drinkflowater.com.
About FloWater
Recognized by Inc. and the Financial Times as one of America’s fastest growing companies and honored by Fast Company as a World Changing Idea, FloWater is the world’s first company building a comprehensive platform of water purification products. The FloWater team is passionate about eliminating plastic waste and providing safe, great-tasting drinking water to everyone, wherever they are. Today, some of the world’s best brands hydrate with FloWater, including Hyatt, Google, Red Bull, Play Station, Specialized Bikes, Microsoft, Club Pilates, Hulu, Urban Remedy, and O’Neill. FloWater delivers meaningful impacts for health and well-being, boosting hydration 200-500% while reducing the consumption of coffee and sugary beverages by 50%. Since the company’s launch, FloWater’s Refill Stations have saved over 320 million plastic water bottles from entering the environment and are on target to hit one billion by the end of 2022. For more information, visit www.drinkflowater.com and follow FloWater on Facebook and Instagram.