Texas Administrative Code › Title 25 - HEALTH SERVICES › Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES › Chapter 295 - OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH › Subchapter G - SANITATION AT TEMPORARY PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT › Section 295.165 - Standards for Water Supply

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Drinking water (potable water).
(1)
											  Every temporary place of employment shall be provided with an adequate supply of potable water for drinking.
											  Employers shall make drinking water readily accessible to all employees during all working hours and rest
											  periods in sufficient amounts to meet their needs. All drinking water shall be obtained from a water system
											  complying with 31 TAC §§290.38-290.49 concerning Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems.
											  Drinking water may also be supplied in sealed glass or plastic containers from producers inspected by the
											  Food and Drug Division of the Texas Department of Health according to the provisions of the Health and Safety
											  Code, Chapter 431. All water supplies must be protected from contamination to the point of
											  consumption.
(2) Sanitary drinking fountains, where installed,
											  shall be in accordance with American National Standard Specifications for Drinking Fountains and
											  Self-Contained Mechanically-Refrigerated Drinking Water Coolers, ANSI/ARI 1010-73, published by the American
											  National Standards Institute.
(3) Where no supply system of
											  drinking water meeting minimum standards is available, the requirement for providing drinking water may be
											  met by the use of individual, disposable, or portable containers filled with water from a source in
											  compliance with minimum standards for water hygiene, as set forth in paragraph (1) of this
											  subsection.
(4) All kinds of portable containers used to dispense
											  water for drinking shall be clearly marked as to the nature of their contents, maintained in a sanitary
											  condition, and not used for any other purpose. They must be capable of being tightly closed. All portable
											  containers except those used for individual consumption must be equipped with a suitable tap. Containers such
											  as barrels, pails, or tanks from which water must be poured or dipped shall be prohibited. The common
											  drinking cup is prohibited.
(5) Portable containers shall supply
											  a total minimum capacity of not less than two quarts for each of the maximum number of employees present for
											  each work day. Drinking water contained therein, during the period of dispensing to employees, shall not
											  exceed a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
(6) Where drinking
											  water is dispensed from portable containers other than individual containers it shall be dispensed either
											  through the use of a drinking fountain or a gravity water tap. Except where drinking water is supplied
											  exclusively by fountain, disposable single-service cups shall be supplied to all persons at a job site for
											  drinking purposes. A container for storage of a sufficient number of cups and a receptacle for the disposal
											  of used cups shall be provided adjacent to each water dispenser.
(7) Where drinking water is cooled by ice, the construction of the
											  container shall be such that the ice does not come in contact with the water unless the ice is manufactured
											  from potable water and is protected from contamination between the point of manufacture and the point of
											  use.