this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2024
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[–] needanke 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (12 children)

Anytime I see memes like that, I am thankful I live in a country where I can just drink tap water.

[–] capital@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (11 children)

What kind of water do you think is coming out of these?

[–] needanke 1 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I thought their whole point was that they filter the water because you can't drink the tap water in the US?

[–] pixelscript@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The fuck? No...?

The US is clownish and backwards in a lot of ways but this is not one of them.

[–] needanke 1 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Then what are those for compared to just a sink?

[–] el_eh_chase@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

For conveniently drinking out of them and filling water bottles in public buildings like schools and hospitals. They're really common in NA, what part of the world are you in?

[–] needanke 1 points 1 day ago

Germany, we do have a few fountains (but they are really uncommon and would have more in common with a normal tab and sink then the american fountains I've seen). I'd usually just fill up my bottle from a sink at a bathroom when I'm on the go.

[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

By googling it, it seems these will filter out some forever chemicals that are a problem pretty much everywhere. It will also cool the water, which might be beneficial if your tap water is a bit on the warmer side (which mine is and it's infuriating, I want to drink near-freezing water)

Note: I'm not American and don't have one of these, just googling.

[–] pixelscript@lemm.ee 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

They are public drinking fountains. These aren't meant to be put in homes or private spaces.

America is absolutely filled with these things. They are everywhere. Public drinking access, no cups required, at an overwhelming number of public institutions. One of the extremely rare W's of American public use infrastructure.

On the few occasions I've been to Europe, I've honestly been quite frustrated at the lack of them. I can't just roll up to a place and have a quick drink, I'm apparently just expected to carry it with me on my person when I leave my place of stay, or buy a disposable bottle of something from a shop. Even if there are public faucet taps available, I guess I'm expected to be carrying a drinking vessel already, or stick my face under the faucet and slurp awkwardly from the falling stream?

I'm just baffled public drinking fountains don't seem to be common elsewhere, to the point that there are several people in this thread questioning what they even are. I would consider them basic infrastructure for any civilized society.

[–] capital@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

This is gonna blow your mind but even a lot of bottled water just comes out of plain-ass municipal water systems.

No, these machines are directly connected to the tap. Many will cool the water down but I don't think many of them do filtering.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What makes you think that you can't drink US tap water? I've been drinking it my whole life. The area that I live in has very good tap water. The water department even sends me detailed reports periodically.

[–] needanke 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I did an exchange year in MN and my host family there told me not to, always bought bottled water and never drank it themselves. And when I did try it it tasted very chlorinated.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Water is regulated on the local level, so the quality varies depending upon what part of the country you're in. There are definitely places where you shouldn't drink the water.

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