Consumer Focus Scotland: Dirty water coolers pose health risk

Consumer Focus Scotland has conducted a study of water coolers in the country which found that dirty water coolers are posing a risk to their users' health.

The body took samples from 87 water dispensers from coolers in Edinburgh and the Lothian and Borders area and found that 23 of them were contaminated with bacteria.

Coolers in leisure centres, schools and care homes were included in those that failed the hygiene testing.

Mary Lawton from Consumer Focus Scotland said that there is currently no legislation in place concerning the cleanliness of water coolers and that keeping them clean is a "low priority" for many organisations.

She said that there should be a campaign launched "to get people to use them in such a way that they don't contaminate them for the next person."

According to guidelines published by the Brookhaven National Laboratory, water coolers should be cleaned with every bottle change, or at least once every six weeks.