Milestones: From 1859 London to the Double Bubbler

Four dated steps between London's first public fountains and the bottled-water campaign of the 1970s.

In mid-19th century London the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association built the first public baths and public drinking fountains, starting in 1859. That is the starting date for public fountain provision on this timeline.

The original 'Bubbler' of 1903–1913 shot water one inch straight into the air, and the excess water ran back down over the sides of the nozzle. The one-inch jet is the hardware milestone that follows the London association by roughly half a century.

During World War I, company founder Halsey W. Taylor invented the 'Double Bubbler' drinking fountain. The double drinking point is the next dated step after the single one-inch Bubbler.

In the 1970s the fear of contamination in tap water was hyped by producers of bottled water. That campaign is the last dated entry here and is a marketing milestone rather than a change in fountain hardware.

• 1859 — Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association, London.
• 1903–1913 — original Bubbler, one-inch vertical jet.
• World War I — Halsey W. Taylor's Double Bubbler.
• 1970s — bottled-water producers hype tap-water fear.

Further reading

• Bubblers, Spouts and Jets: The Types
• Before You Drink: The Hygiene Check