The drinking fountain button

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Global availability of drinking fountains

  • Many commenters report a scarcity of public fountains in much of Europe (notably Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Spain), even in airports and stations.
  • Others counter with examples: Rome and much of Italy, Switzerland, Amsterdam (hundreds mapped), parts of the UK, New Zealand and Australia have plentiful fountains or refill points.
  • In the US, fountains are common in schools, offices, airports, parks, libraries, campuses, gyms, etc., but “street-level” fountains outside such spaces can be rare in some cities.
  • Cultural norms differ: in parts of Europe it’s common to drink tap water at home or ask for free water in cafés; some tourists are reluctant to do so. Morocco example: wall-mounted sink with a chained communal cup.

Tap water safety and chlorine

  • Strong disagreement over US tap water:
    • Some say it’s generally safe, tastes like bottled water, and is fine to drink almost everywhere.
    • Others avoid it due to noticeable chlorine taste/smell and cite higher residual chlorine levels and lower “clean water access” rankings.
  • Chlorine debate:
    • One side stresses it’s a proven disinfectant; detectable chlorine implies fewer dangerous microbes.
    • The other highlights chlorine toxicity limits (in air), possible carcinogenic byproducts, and argues that many European systems achieve safety with little or no residual chlorine.
  • Flint is cited as evidence of US governance failures; others note it was an outlier caused by local mismanagement, with monitoring requirements on paper similar to European ones. There is disagreement over whether something “like Flint” could happen in Germany.

USSR environmental record and household waste

  • Some reminisce about Soviet-era low-plastic life: paper-wrapped meat, bring-your-own containers for dairy, glass-bottle return systems, and shared soda machines with self-cleaning glasses.
  • Strong pushback lists massive Soviet industrial pollution (nuclear sites, Aral Sea, asbestos, coal heating, whale slaughter) and argues the system treated citizens and environment as expendable.
  • Others reply they were only claiming “green” in terms of household packaging, not industry, and that frugality and recycling were largely driven by poverty, not environmental ethics.

Fountain/button design and usage

  • The Verge article’s title is seen by some as clickbait (“they’re just buttons”); others appreciate the deep dive into robust, high-cycle, pressure-regulated valve cartridges.
  • A diagram is perceived as overcomplicated by some; others say many annotations don’t equal mechanical complexity.
  • Preferences split between classic drink-from-stream bubblers and bottle-only fillers; many want combined units. Bottle fillers are reported to be heavily used in gyms/airports, but less helpful if you’re not already carrying a bottle.

Water use, toilets, and infrastructure

  • Several note the US emphasis on low-flow fixtures; complaints include multi-flush toilets and underperforming dryers, contrasted with praise for well-designed low-flow toilets that work reliably.
  • Discussion of European toilet styles (including “poop shelf” models) and dual-flush buttons; low-flow can increase sewer clogs.
  • Historical unmetered water service (e.g., Chicago, parts of California’s Central Valley, some UK/Asian systems) led to high usage and hidden leaks; installing meters revealed large wastage.

Pandemic effects and public commons

  • Mixed experiences on fountains post-COVID: some say many remained off, others say most never shut down or were reactivated quickly.
  • An increase in hands-free bottle fillers is widely noted.
  • One commenter frames the decline or neglect of public fountains as emblematic of a broader erosion of shared public infrastructure and trust.