Schenectady, NY asked in Employment Law and Military Law for New York

Q: There isn't a water fountain or a water receptacle available where I work. There is only the bathroom faucet.

I am a resident of NY State and work on a military base. Is it legal to have only a bathroom faucet available? There is not a kitchen in this facility to access drinking water.

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: OSHA's sanitation standard, 29 CFR 1910.141, requires the provision of drinking water at workplaces. They do not specifically mandate the form in which that water is provided (they do not specifically require a water fountain). As long as the water provided is potable and sanitary, the employer is likely meeting the minimum requirements of OSHA's regulations.

However, different or additional standards may apply since you are working on a military base. The Department of Defense and individual military branches have their own regulations on workplace conditions, which may exceed OSHA standards.

Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer

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