ADA Compliance Information Sheet

What is ADA Compliance?

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a wide-ranging civil rights law that ensures individuals with disabilities can fully access and use public places and services. As such, the ADA contains standards for public places, buildings, and services, including drinking water fountains and water coolers.

What Are the ADA Compliance Standards for Water Coolers?

Under the ADA, a drinking water cooler must comply with specific regulations as outlined in the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, including:

• The controls must be on the front of the unit and be within 15 inches (380 mm) and 48 inches (1,220 mm) of the floor for an individual in a wheelchair to approach the water cooler either from the front (forward approach) or from the side (parallel approach).
• The floor space in front of the water cooler must be clear by at least 30 inches by 48 inches (760 mm by 1220 mm) to allow for a forward or parallel approach.

Are Quench Machines ADA Compliant?

Quench has several filtered water coolers and ice dispensers that are ADA compliant as long as they are installed with the proper open space in front of the cooler.

Here is a list of the ADA compliant Quench water coolers:

• Quench Q3
• Quench Q4
• Quench Q5 (freestanding)
• Quench Q7 (freestanding)
• Quench Q8 (freestanding)
• Quench Q12

Here is a list of the ADA compliant Quench ice machines:

• Quench 970
• Quench 970-15
• Quench 978/979
• Quench 960
• Quench 980 series
• Quench 992

The Quench counter-top water coolers and ice dispensers, including the Q7 CT, Q5 CT, 975, 965, 975-15, and 985, can be compliant as long as they are installed on a surface that does not bring the control height above 48 inches total from the floor.

If an organization has an alternative system to provide individuals with disabilities access to drinking water, then an ADA compliant water cooler is not required. However, if an individual with disability requests an ADA compliant water cooler, then the organization is obligated to provide one.

For more information on ADA compliance requirements, please refer to Section 6 of the ADA Standard for Accessible Design.

Download our ADA Compliance Information Sheet to learn how a water cooler is ADA compliant.