Minnesota Department of Health Fact Sheet December 2010

Guidelines for Safe Handling of Drinking Water at a Golf Course

The following are guidelines if you are Water in the container should be drained
providing drinking water dispensers at your and refilled daily to prevent the growth of
golf course. If the following guidelines cannot organisms.
be implemented, providing bottled water as an Dispenser containers must not be stored
alternative to dispensers is strongly outside overnight.
recommended.
Water dispensers:
If you are a licensed food and beverage The water dispenser should be constructed
establishment, you must use NSF approved or of food grade material and be easily
equivalent equipment. A trained food service cleanable.
staff member should do the handling of water The spigot should be a gravity flow design
and the filling and cleaning of dispensers. to prevent contamination during use.
Dispensers should be designed and placed
Dispenser filling: in a manner to decrease the risk of
Wash hands with soap and water prior to tampering.
handling water or ice. The dispenser and nozzle should be
Water and ice must come from an approved washed, rinsed and sanitized daily. Wash
water supply system, either a municipal with soapy water inside and out, followed
system or a well that is routinely tested and by a thorough clean water rinse and sanitize
meets safe drinking water standards. using a bleach solution of one tablespoon
The dispenser should be stored away from per two gallons of water.
chemical storage or contaminants. Provide an area for air-drying of the
The dispenser should be filled in an area dispenser and nozzle.
free of environmental contaminants, such as Single use disposable cups should be
dust, chemicals and insects. provided.
The dispenser should not be placed on the
floor while filling but rather on a clean and For Further Information Contact the
sanitary surface. Following MDH District Offices:
The hose used to fill the dispenser must be
food grade (no garden hoses) and stored in Bemidji (218) 308-2100
a protected manner. Duluth (218) 302-6166
Hoses should be used exclusively for Fergus Falls (218) 332-5150
drinking water dispenser filling and not to Mankato (507) 344-2700
fill other equipment or tanks, such as Marshall (507) 537-7151
pesticides, herbicides or used to clean other Metro (651) 201-4500
things. Rochester (507) 206-2700
Plumbing used to draw water must meet the St. Cloud (320) 223-7300
Minnesota plumbing code and have proper To request this document in another format, call
backflow devices. 651-201-4500 or TTY 651-201-5797.
Ice must be dispensed with an ice scoop to
prevent direct hand contact with the ice.

Food, Pools, and Lodging Services Section

625 North Robert Street, P.O. Box 64975
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-201-4500
http://www.health.state.mn.us