L.A. study questions vending water quality

        Officials in Los Angeles county are recommending regulations such as state inspections of water vending machines after a study by the Los Angeles County Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures questioned the government oversight, cleanliness and water quality of county-based machines....  Of the 279 vending machines studied, the report made such statements as "The public is paying for water it is not getting.  The product... may be, in many cases, less wholesome than the tap water they have at home."  The report focused on the heterotrophic plate count bacteria, indicator bacteria considered harmless by most water experts.  Recommendations of state licensing fees of $20-to-$40 per machine have been discussed, with no resolution as of yet.

Source: Water Conditioning & Purification Magazine