Guidelines for Safe Handling of
Drinking Water at a Golf Course
The following are guidelines if you are providing drinking water
dispensers at your golf course. If the following guidelines cannot be
implemented, providing bottled water as an alternative to dispensers is strongly
recommended.
If you are a licensed food and beverage establishment, you must use NSF
approved or equivalent equipment. A trained food service staff member should do
the handling of water and the filling and cleaning of dispensers.
Dispenser filling
- Wash hands with soap and water prior to handling water or ice.
- Water and ice must come from an approved water supply system, either a
municipal system or a well that is routinely tested and meets safe drinking
water standards.
- The dispenser should be stored away from chemical storage or contaminants.
- The dispenser should be filled in an area free of environmental
contaminants, such as dust, chemicals and insects.
- The dispenser should not be placed on the floor while filling but rather
on a clean and sanitary surface.
- The hose used to fill the dispenser must be food grade (no garden hoses)
and stored in a protected manner.
- Hoses should be used exclusively for drinking water dispenser filling and
not to fill other equipment or tanks, such as pesticides, herbicides or used
to clean other things.
- Plumbing used to draw water must meet the Minnesota plumbing code and have
proper backflow devices.
- Ice must be dispensed with an ice scoop to prevent direct hand contact
with the ice.
- Water in the container should be drained and refilled daily to prevent the
growth of organisms.
- Dispenser containers must not be stored outside overnight.
Water dispensers
- The water dispenser should be constructed of food grade material and be
easily cleanable.
- The spigot should be a gravity flow design to prevent contamination during
use.
- Dispensers should be designed and placed in a manner to decrease the risk
of tampering.
- The dispenser and nozzle should be washed, rinsed and sanitized daily.
Wash with soapy water inside and out, followed by a thorough clean water
rinse and sanitize using a bleach solution of one tablespoon per two gallons
of water.
- Provide an area for air-drying of the dispenser and nozzle.
- Single use disposable cups should be provided.
For further information, contact:
Minnesota Department of Health
Environmental Health Services
121 East 7th Place, Suite 220
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-215-0870 or www.health.state.mn.us