Purpose
In 2013, Lehigh Facilities initiated a pilot project replacing existing water fountains with non-filtered bottle fill stations. This project was part of our sustainable practices and initiated to reduce single-use plastic bottles.
Since then, LU Facilities has replaced and installed dozens more on campus and includes non-
filtered bottle fills as part of their design standards for all new construction and renovation. Since 2014, these systems have helped to divert more than 1.8 million plastic bottles from landfills. For more details on the type of system Lehigh uses, read more below. These systems include a color light indicator labeled with a filter status; however, these systems do not include filters. The water is non-filtered and designed to reduce plastic use, similar to a water fountain.
Design Standard
Electrical water coolers with bottle-filling stations shall be bi-level, one ADA and one standard height. Coolers shall be refrigerated to generate 9 gph, 80 F inlet and 50 F outlet water. Touchless, non-filtered water coolers shall be Elkay EZH20 (e.g., EMABFTL8WSSK).