This is a legacy version of the WELL Building Standard. Please check the latest version here.

Drinking water promotion

Access to clear, good-tasting water helps to promote proper hydration. Many otherwise healthy people unknowingly suffer from mild dehydration, resulting in avoidable symptoms like constipation, dry skin and headaches. Improving the taste and appearance of tap water encourages optimal water consumption and reduces reliance on bottled water.

This feature sets limits for dissolved minerals that can compromise the taste and appearance of water, and requires that drinking water is easily accessible throughout the building.

Part 1: Drinking Water Taste Properties

Drinking water from all faucets and fountains meets the following requirements:

a.54 Aluminum less than 0.2 mg/L.
b.54 Chloride less than 250 mg/L.
c.54 Manganese less than 0.05 mg/L.
d.47 Sodium less than 270 mg/L.
e.54 Sulfates less than 250 mg/L.
f.54 Iron less than 0.3 mg/L.
g.54 Zinc less than 5 mg/L.
h.54 Total Dissolved Solids less than 500 mg/L.
Part 1: Circadian Lighting

In all bedrooms, bathrooms, and rooms with windows, the lighting system meets the following requirements:

a. Allow users to set a "bed time" and a "wake time".
b. If lights are turned on in the interval spanning "wake time" and 2 hours before "bed time", they provide a maintained average of at least 250 equivalent melanopic lux.
c. If lights are turned on in the interval spanning 2 hours before "bed time" and "wake time", they provide provide a maintained average of 50 equivalent melanopic lux or less.
Part 3: Water Dispenser Maintenance

The components of the water dispenser that provide drinking water are cleaned with the following regularity:

a.48 Daily, for mouthpieces, protective guards and collective basins, to prevent lime and calcium build-up.
b.48 Quarterly, for outlet screens and aerators, to remove debris and sediment.
Part 4: Outdoor Drinking Water Access

The following requirements are met to promote water consumption and to reduce the consumption of less healthy alternatives:

a.162 At least one dispenser with free, potable water is located within 30 m [100 ft] of all parts of regularly occupied floor space (minimum one per floor).
b. At least one dispenser with free, potable water is provided per 30 students in outdoor activity areas, if present, based on average outdoor occupancy.
Digestive
Urinary
Endocrine

Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell Tenant Improvement New Construction
Part 1: Drinking Water Taste Properties O O O
Part 1: Circadian Lighting - - -
Part 3: Water Dispenser Maintenance - O O
Part 4: Outdoor Drinking Water Access - - -
Commercial Kitchen Schools Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
Part 1: Drinking Water Taste Properties O O O O O
Part 1: Circadian Lighting - - O - -
Part 3: Water Dispenser Maintenance O O - O O
Part 4: Outdoor Drinking Water Access - O - - -

Verification Methods Matrix

Letters of Assurance Annotated Documents On-Site Checks
PART 1 (Performance)
Drinking Water Taste Properties
Performance Test
PART 1 (Design)
Circadian Lighting
Auditor Inspection
PART 3 (Protocol)
Water Dispenser Maintenance
Operations Schedule
PART 4 (Design)
Outdoor Drinking Water Access
Architect
47

New York State Department of Health. Individual Water Supply Wells - Fact Sheet #3 Recommended Residential Water Quality Testing. Troy: New York State Department of Health Bureau of Water Supply Protection; 2006.

37.1.d

The New York State Department of Health notes that water containing more than 270 mg/L of sodium should not be used by people on moderately restricted sodium diets.

48

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Drinking Water Best Management Practices, EPA 816-B-13-002. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; April 2013.

37.3.a

The EPA's Drinking Water Best Management Practices notes that it is "important to clean drinking water fountains to remove lime and calcium build-up."

37.3.b

The EPA's Drinking Water Best Management Practices note to clean debris out of all outlet screens and aerators on a regular basis.

54

Office of Water. 2012 Edition of the Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories. Washington D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 2012: 2, 3, 5-11.

37.1.a

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Aluminum concentrations at 0.2 mg/L.

37.1.b

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Chloride concentrations at 250 mg/L.

37.1.c

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Manganese concentrations at 0.05 mg/L.

37.1.e

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Sulfate concentrations at 250 mg/L.

37.1.f

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Iron concentrations at 0.3 mg/L.

37.1.g

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Zinc concentrations at 5 mg/L.

37.1.h

The EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations set a secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for Total Dissolved Solids concentrations at 500 mg/L.

162

Huang, TT, Sorensen, D, Davis, S, Frerichs, L, Brittin, J, Celentano, J, Callahan, K, and Trowbridge, MJ. Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture. Prev Chronic Dis. 2013; 10: E27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3592783/#R10. Accessed March 30, 2015.

37.4.a

The Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture provides design strategies, including the provision of an "outdoor kitchen with access to potable water."