Quality Assessment of Drinking Water from Vending Machines for a Healthier Life

Commercial water vending machines in urban communities are important for consumers because of their convenience and affordability. Therefore, this study investigated the environmental conditions, maintenance, and quality of drinking water distributed through vending machines in an urban community in Thailand. The research sampled 101 drinking water machines in Buriram Municipality, Buriram Province. These machines were assessed for physical characteristics and the surrounding environment and were conducted according to an evaluation form provided by the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. The findings revealed that 93.07% of the machines had auto coin failures; did not record the date, month, and year of filter changes; and did not display the business license on the cabinet. Additionally, 89.1% of the cabinets had thick dust, 57.43% had damaged or rusted handles on the water inlet door, and 56.44% had algae or rust stains on the water dispenser head. A physiochemical analysis revealed that 83.2% of the machines did not detect the pH levels. Total coliform bacteria and E. coli were not detected in 39.6% and 12.9% of samples, respectively. This study was conducted to develop an application for monitoring the quality of drinking water from vending machines to ensure that standards are met and up-to-date information is provided to help consumers make informed decisions about using clean and safe drinking water from vending machines.