No Drinking Water Available At University!!! IS IT LEGAL?

Lady_K

Do any of you students know if it is against the law to not provide students with access to drinking water on university premises?

My daughter drinks water all the time and she asked at the canteen if they could fill up her water bottle for her and they said no they weren’t allowed to do that but she could buy a bottle for 95p, she had already purchased a ridiculously priced jacket potato and beans for £2.50! so it wasn’t as though she hadn’t brought anything. They also would not give her a glass of water either.

She was paying for water everyday but the cost mounted up so much as she drinks an awful lot of it. I know she could carry it to uni. in bottles of her own but they do amount to some weight to carry and she’s having physiotherapy for a back problem so it makes it even worse. The canteen lady said some students go downstairs to the toilets and fill them up there so she went to have a look and it was so disgusting and filthy, totally unhygienic to fill bottles up with drinking water in there and in fact she isn’t even sure if it is actually even drinking water as all the other toilets are not drinking water so she couldn’t fill them up there anyway

The water fountain they have has been out of working order ever since she started there in September and according to Students there before that it’s been out of order so long they have never seen it working.

She has just finished a placement as she’s a student nurse and hasn’t had to deal with the problem while shes been there as water has been freely available but she is back at the university tomorrow so the problem is on again

Any ideas on what to do and who to complain to? And if it’s legal for them not to provide drinking water?

Savvy_Sue

I don't think it's a requirement for water to be freely available in restaurants etc, so her best bet would probably be to pursue it through students' union?

[Deleted User]

I don't think they are obligated to provide drinking water ,although saying that I am at Bridge Warden's College, part of Kent Uni in Chatham, and there is a water cooler in the cafeteria that give you a choice of still or fizzy water .I think it just depends on the Uni and how much cash they have to spend.
She could try asking a member of the Student's Union to see if it's a possibility. I know the food is expensive at my college ,but I don't buy there as I am only on a part-time course and take my own if I'm peckish.

Lady_K

Well maybe I don't know but this is a place of learning. If you go to a restaurant you don't stay there all day. She is there for 8 hours or more a day and having to carry her own is heavy and having to buy it is heavy on her pocket but it's not just the canteen its the whole university

happenstance

Lady_K wrote:

Well maybe I don't know but this is a place of learning. If you go to a restaurant you don't stay there all day. She is there for 8 hours or more a day and having to carry her own is heavy and having to buy it is heavy on her pocket but it's not just the canteen its the whole university

I usually carry around 1 1.5 litre bottle of water in my bag all day, its cheap exercise too

Not sure if its a legal requirement, at my uni they wont give tap water in the canteen, they say you should use the drinking water tap in the toilets. Maybe its just me but i hate the idea of getting water from the toilets, so bring my own.

susiesue_2

check out HSE or their website as im sure that it is a legal requirement to provide drinking water in a place of work. she may not work there but the staff do so that may be an approach to consider. Ask at the college who the HSE rep is and get them explain there should be one. We have water coolers at our college but there is nver any cups but we do fill up our bottles.

Lady_K

Thanx

I dont know what a HSE is but I'm sure my daughter will. Thing is the staff will have access to drinking water I guess from the staffroom or somewhere somehow and canteen staff will have it in the canteen of course.

I just feel they should have access to a hygienic way to either drink water or fill up bottles, a toilet to me is not that. They shouldnt be expected to fork out stupid prices for bottled water. I think a few of them should get together and complain

susiesue_2

its the Health and Safety Executive. ive had a look and it would fall under welfare facilities this needs to be sorted out as im sure it is illegle as not having fire doors or fire alarms

juno

I always thought it was compulsory at schools, so universities may be covered too.

Savvy_Sue

I think susiesue's approach of doing it on the level of Health and Safety is a good one: had forgotten that as an employer they must give staff access to drinking water. As you say, this may be via staff rooms, but equally they may be expecting staff to buy or use toilets!

Bogof_Babe

I am sure it is definitely a legal requirement that places of work must provide free drinking water. Therefore by the same token, places of education must also comply.

The washbasins in the toilet area are not acceptable substitutes. Your daughter should contact her student's union rep. and ask him/her to look into the legalities of this.