One Day a Year to Notice the Water
October 15, 2026 is Imagine a Day Without Water, a national day of action that asks people to picture a day without safe, reliable water. The US Water Alliance's Value of Water Campaign has run it for more than 10 years, and this year's campaign focuses on the ways water powers daily life and the people who keep it flowing.
For some businesses, a day without safe water already happened this month. In the first week of October 2026, Pennsylvania American Water issued a boil water advisory for part of its Centre County service area after a water main break, and pump failures put part of Jackson County, Georgia under another.
What Stops When the Water Does
Water touches more of a workday than most people realize. When the tap isn't safe, all of this goes on hold at once:
Drinking water and coffee
The break room cooler, the coffee maker, and the hot water for tea all draw from the same supply.
Ice
Ice made from unsafe water has to be thrown out, and a standard ice machine stays off until the advisory ends.
Food prep and cleaning
Kitchens, cafeterias, and anyone washing dishes or prepping food need a safe water source to keep going.
Hydration on the floor
In a warehouse or plant, losing drinking water on a hot shift turns into a safety problem for the whole crew.
Know the Three Kinds of Water Advisories
Local officials issue different advisories depending on what's wrong with the water. The CDC's overview of drinking water advisories breaks them into three types:
| Advisory | What to do |
|---|---|
| Boil water | Use bottled water, or bring tap water to a rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes above 6,500 feet) before using it. |
| Do not drink | Use bottled water for drinking, cooking, and making ice. Boiling won't make the water safe. |
| Do not use | Use bottled water for everything and avoid contact with tap water until the advisory ends. |
Two points from the CDC matter most for a business. During any type of advisory, the CDC says not to drink or use water from appliances connected to the water line, and it names refrigerator water and ice dispensers as examples. Most ice machines, coffee makers, and water dispensers at work connect to the same line. The CDC also says to boil tap water during a boil water advisory even if you filter it. Bottleless Nation units are no exception: stop using them until their filters are changed, and call our team to change them.
Once an advisory is lifted, there's cleanup. Health departments like the Virginia Department of Health tell food businesses to flush their pipes first, then throw out leftover ice, clean and sanitize ice bins, and replace filters in equipment like ice machines and water chillers. What happens to an ice machine during a boil water notice walks through that process step by step.
A Simple Plan for the Next Advisory
An advisory can land in the middle of a workday. A few steps ahead of time make that day go smoother:
- Sign up for alerts. Most water utilities and counties offer text or email alerts. Make sure the person who runs the building gets them.
- Keep a small backup supply. A few cases of bottled water and a stack of cups cover drinking water for a short advisory.
- Know which equipment to shut off. List every appliance on the water line that has to go off, from a standard ice machine to the coffee maker, so nobody uses one by mistake.
- Know who to call afterward. Ask whoever services your water and ice equipment how they handle getting units back in service after an advisory.
The Other 364 Days
On most days the water flows and nobody thinks about it. The bigger question for a business is what's in it. Utilities treat water to federal standards, and older pipes between the treatment plant and your building can still affect what comes out of the tap. What's in tap water and what businesses can do about it covers the contaminants that show up most often, and our free tap water lookup shows what's been detected in your local supply when you enter a zip code.
Bottleless Nation's units connect to your building's water line and purify the water at the dispenser. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane so fine most contaminants can't get through, and an in-tank UV LED keeps stored water sanitized. The S1, S3, and M6 handle hot, cold, or room-temperature water, and the S1 and S3 make ice too. At every visit, from install to preventative maintenance, our team tests the total dissolved solids (TDS) in your building's tap water and in our purified water with a meter.
Our yearly maintenance was easy to schedule and Nick showed up ready to get the job done! He was fast, thorough and updated us on our machine status when he finished. We are super happy with our water and ice, it's always fresh and clean!
— Chelly J., Cleveland, OH (Google review)
Installation is included at no extra charge, and so are service calls. Our team handles annual preventative maintenance and the yearly filter change, and we aim to respond to service requests within two days. Browse bottleless water systems, or talk to our team about purified water for your building.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is Imagine a Day Without Water in 2026?
Thursday, October 15, 2026. It's a national day of action led by the Value of Water Campaign to highlight how much daily life depends on safe, reliable water.
What's the difference between a boil water advisory and a do not drink advisory?
A boil water advisory means tap water is safe to drink only after it's been boiled. A do not drink advisory means boiling won't make it safe, so you need bottled water for drinking. A do not use advisory means tap water shouldn't be used at all.
What happens to Bottleless Nation units during a boil water advisory?
Stop using them until the filters are changed. Call our team, and we'll change the filters on your unit. Follow your local officials' instructions too.
What should a business do after an advisory is lifted?
Flush the lines by running the taps, throw out any ice made during the advisory, clean and sanitize ice bins, and replace filters where the equipment maker or health department says to. Your local health department may have specific steps for your type of business.
How can I check what's in my local tap water?
Your water utility publishes a yearly water quality report. You can also enter your zip code in the Bottleless Nation tap water lookup to see contaminants detected in your local supply.
Does Bottleless Nation serve my area?
Bottleless Nation serves 33 markets across the U.S. The full list of service locations shows every market we cover.