Generally speaking, the Federal Government does not purchase pure bottled drinking water for Federal employees unless it can be proved that agency drinking water is unsuitable for drinking.

Proof of water quality however, is a long and time consuming process and many agency employees are forced to drink low quality, bad tasting tap or well water in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area..

Nevertheless, many Federal agency employees now purchase pure drinking water by forming water clubs. Water clubs are formed from individual employees with shared interests of maintaining good health and drinking pure water as a start. The club that is formed agrees to purchase bottled water delivery and usually agrees to rent or buy one or more water coolers for club use on the agency premises.

The club gains purchasing power based on the strength of it membership and the members gain the advantage of pure drinking water for office and event consumption. Office consumption usually takes the form of regular delivery of 5 gallon bottles for water cooler use and 20 oz and 12 oz. small package PET bottles for events or other club occasions.

Some Bottled Water Companies Offer Specific Programs Tailored To Water Clubs.

In Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metro area at least one purified bottled water company offers programs tailored to water clubs in the Federal Government. These program offer volume discounts and flexible delivery dates as well as responsive customer service based upon the latest technology and trained staff.

In addition the quality of the drinking water is important. Some bottled water companies merely repackage tap water while other bottled water companies use water from springs or artesian wells that may contain contamination, harmful minerals or bacteria.

What to Look For In a Bottled Water Supplier.

If you are forming a water club in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area it is wise to conduct some due diligence before you choose a water supplier. What to look for:

• A supplier with the highest quality water. Distilled/oxygenated water is considered by many experts to be the purest water.

• A supplier with flexible programs that address the needs of water clubs including:

o Volume pricing agreements
o No cancellation charges
o Quality bottles with no spill caps and handles for easy use
o Flexible and changeable delivery schedules
o Flexible billing procedures

• A supplier with trained customer service personnel and a culture of customer service.

Water clubs are becoming more common for Federal Government employees as a way to avoid the low quality tap water found in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and it is important to choose a quality supplier that will meet the needs of the water club.