School & Child-Care Fixture Inventory
A complete, accurate inventory of every drinking-water outlet is the foundation of a workable sampling and maintenance program.
Short answer: List every fixture that dispenses water for drinking or cooking — fountains, bottle fillers, kitchen taps, classroom sinks used for consumption — with a unique ID, location, fixture type, and testing/remediation history.
What to include per fixture
- Unique fixture ID and building/room location
- Fixture type (fountain, bottle filler, kitchen faucet, classroom sink, etc.)
- Whether the fixture is used for drinking or food preparation
- Most recent test date and result, if sampled
- Any remediation performed (replacement, filter installation, removal from service)
- Filter type and last replacement date, if applicable
- Current status: in service, filtered, or removed from service
Step-by-step
- Walk every building and list every water-dispensing fixture, not just obvious ones like fountains.
- Assign each fixture a unique, consistent ID that will be used across sampling events.
- Record baseline information (location, type, use) before any sampling plan begins.
- Update the inventory after every test, replacement, or filter change.
- Keep the inventory available for DDOE, OCCL, or internal review as applicable.
Common mistakes
- Missing classroom or staff-area sinks that are used for drinking despite not being labeled as such
- Reusing old fixture IDs after a fixture is replaced, which breaks historical tracking
- Losing track of which outlets have been removed from service versus filtered
Official sources
- DDOE Facilities and Operations
- U.S. EPA 3Ts fixture inventory guidance
Related
Do we need to inventory sinks that aren't meant for drinking?
Focus on fixtures used or reasonably likely to be used for drinking or food preparation. A sink never used for consumption (e.g., a janitorial sink) is generally out of scope, but document that determination.
This page provides general educational information and is not legal or regulatory advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-11. Report a correction.