By William “Bill” Hancher, Vice President of Strategic Solutions | Doing Better Business
With more than 40 years in the business technology industry, Bill Hancher helps organizations identify practical solutions to everyday workplace challenges—from document workflows and technology infrastructure to DBB PureFlow bottleless water systems.
We’ve probably all seen it.
You walk into the breakroom to get a glass of water and the water cooler is empty.
But instead of replacing the bottle, someone leaves it empty for the next person to deal with.
One of our customers, Richard K. Mellon and Sons, had exactly that problem.
According to their office manager, “We were constantly dealing with empty water coolers because nobody wanted to change those heavy bottles. Since installing the two DBB PureFlow systems, that problem is gone.”
Their office relied on traditional 5-gallon water jugs, and employees simply didn’t want to wrestle with lifting and flipping a heavy bottle onto the cooler.
And really, can you blame them?
A full 5-gallon water bottle weighs more than 40 pounds. Changing one can be awkward, messy and something many employees would rather not attempt.
So sometimes the cooler simply sat empty.the
The Problem Wasn’t the Water. It Was the Delivery System.
This customer story illustrates something many businesses don’t think about when evaluating office drinking water.
Traditional bottled water isn’t just about the water. Someone has to manage everything surrounding it.
Employees may need to monitor inventory, order replacement bottles, find somewhere to store them, move full bottles around the office, lift them onto the cooler and deal with the empties afterward.
That’s a lot of effort just to provide drinking water.
Our customer decided there had to be an easier way.
What Is a Bottleless Office Water System?
A bottleless office water system connects directly to a building’s existing water supply and filters the water before dispensing it for drinking.
Unlike traditional water coolers that rely on 5-gallon bottles, bottleless systems don’t require employees to order, store, lift or replace water jugs.
Depending on the system, multiple stages of filtration can be used to address impurities and improve the taste and quality of the building’s existing water supply.
For many businesses, that means having filtered drinking water available on demand without managing bottled-water deliveries.
The Customer Replaced the Water Jugs With Two DBB PureFlow Systems
Instead of continuing with bottled-water delivery, this customer installed two DBB PureFlow bottleless water systems.
The result was pretty simple:
No bottles to order.
No bottles to store.
No empty cooler waiting for someone to change it.
And most importantly for this particular office:
Nobody has to lift a 40-plus-pound water jug anymore.
What had been a recurring workplace frustration became one less thing employees needed to think about.
And they love their new systems with on demand hot and cold filtered water.
What Are the Advantages of Bottleless Water Systems for Offices?
Eliminating heavy water bottles was this customer’s immediate concern, but there are several reasons businesses consider switching from traditional bottled-water coolers to bottleless systems.
No Heavy Water Jugs to Lift
A full 5-gallon water jug weighs more than 40 pounds and can be awkward to change. A bottleless system eliminates the need for employees to lift and replace those bottles.
No Water Bottle Storage
Businesses using bottled water typically need space to store both full and empty bottles. Bottleless systems eliminate that inventory.
No Bottled-Water Deliveries
Because the system uses the building’s water supply, businesses aren’t dependent on recurring deliveries of 5-gallon water bottles.
Filtered Water on Demand
Water is filtered as part of the system, providing employees with convenient access to drinking water without waiting for someone to replace an empty jug.
Less Workplace Hassle
Ordering water, moving bottles, storing inventory and changing empty jugs are small tasks—but they’re still tasks someone has to manage.
Eliminating them simplifies one more part of running the workplace.
Bottleless Water Cooler vs. 5-Gallon Water Jug: What’s the Difference?
The biggest difference is how the water gets to the dispenser.
A traditional bottled-water cooler relies on replacement water jugs that must be delivered, stored and manually changed.
A bottleless water cooler connects to the building’s water supply and uses filtration to provide drinking water directly through the dispenser.
Which approach makes more sense depends on the building, number of employees, water usage, existing plumbing and the organization’s priorities.
That’s why we recommend evaluating the workplace rather than assuming one solution is right for everyone.
Is a Bottleless Water System Right for Every Business?
Not necessarily.
Installation requires access to an appropriate water source, and the right system depends on factors including the building, water quality, number of employees, desired features and expected water consumption.
For some organizations, bottled water may still make sense.
For others—particularly offices tired of storing, ordering and changing heavy 5-gallon jugs—a bottleless water filtration system can be a much more convenient alternative.
Sometimes the Best Technology Solves a Really Simple Problem
Not every business technology solution needs to involve AI, automation or a major digital transformation project.
Sometimes the problem is simply:
Nobody wants to change the water bottle.
And there’s nothing wrong with solving that problem.
At Doing Better Business, we look at workplace technology from a pretty simple perspective: What isn’t working well today, and is there a better way to do it?
For Richard K. Mellon and Sons, two DBB PureFlow systems eliminated a recurring frustration and gave employees an easier way to access filtered drinking water utilizing reverse osmosis, which is the highest level of filtration available.
Sometimes Doing Better Business really is that simple.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bottleless Office Water Systems
How does a bottleless water cooler work?
A bottleless water cooler connects to an existing water supply and filters the water before dispensing it. Because the water comes directly from the building rather than a replaceable bottle, there are no 5-gallon jugs to order, store or change.
Do bottleless water systems need plumbing?
Bottleless systems need access to an appropriate water supply. The exact installation requirements depend on the system and the layout of the building. A site assessment can help determine where a system can be installed.
Are bottleless water coolers filtered?
Yes. Bottleless water systems use filtration technology to filter the incoming water before it is dispensed. The type and number of filtration stages depend on the specific system. DBB PureFlow systems use reverse osmosis filtration, which is designed to reduce a wide range of dissolved contaminants and impurities from the water supply.
Are bottleless water coolers better than 5-gallon water jugs?
It depends on the workplace. Bottleless systems eliminate bottle deliveries, storage and heavy lifting, while traditional bottled coolers may work better in locations where connecting to a water supply isn’t practical.
How much does a bottleless office water system cost?
Cost depends on the system, features, installation requirements and service needs. The better comparison is often the total cost of the current bottled-water program—including deliveries, bottle usage and internal handling—versus the cost of a bottleless system.
Do bottleless water coolers offer ice or sparkling water?
Yes, DBB PureFlow offers several system options, including models with soft, chewable ice and sparkling water.
Still Lifting 5-Gallon Water Jugs?
If your employees are still ordering, storing and changing heavy water bottles, it may be worth asking whether there’s a better way.
Doing Better Business can evaluate your current office water setup, water usage and location to determine whether a DBB PureFlow bottleless water system makes sense for your workplace.
Looking for a Bottleless Water System for Your Office?
If your organization is located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia or Virginia and you’re tired of ordering, storing and changing 5-gallon water bottles, let’s see if there’s a better option.