Drinking water at work

[eyeshade]

under health and safety, is your employer supposed to provide drinking water? We have old pipework in our offices and the water comes out a white colour and smells disgusting. Not even sure its connected to the drinking supply! A water cooler was installed many moons ago and now to cut costs someone wants to do away with it. They personally don't drink the water but tea and coffee which is also provided by the organisation but that hasn't been discussed as a cost cutting measure.
Should they provide suitable water under health and safety rules?

[DanAB]

isn't one of the Human Rights is to have safe and clean drinking water?

[eyeshade]

Well I would have thought so, but there are rules and regs these days to protect just about everybody and I need to know I am right before I go charging in with my health and safety sabre!!

[kempie]

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/water.htm

[ChuckFickens]

Fresh clean drinking water must be provided along with either disposable cups or washing up facilities to clean your cups.

[ChuckFickens]

Sorry Kempie... your answer wasn't there when I started...

[eyeshade]

How do you know if the pipework supplying the water is "wholesome" drinking water? I say "whoelsome because that is the word used in the H&S legislation. It certainly looks nothing like the water in our tap at home and comes out of an old pipe in the wall?

[factor-fiction]

Just ring your local Environmental Health officer anonymously and report it. They'll be obliged to investigate