About 80 percent of the City of Sacramento’s water comes from the American and Sacramento rivers, and the other 20 percent comes from groundwater wells, according to the city’s 2025 Consumer Confidence Report, published in June 2026. The report says the water meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards.
So why put a water filtration system for office use in your break room? Mostly for taste, temperature and convenience. Here is what Sacramento offices should know.
What’s in Sacramento tap water
The same report breaks down where your water comes from and how it differs by source. A few details explain why tap water can taste different from one building to the next:
- Hardness varies by source. The system average was 4.9 grains per gallon. Water from the American River plant averaged 2.0, while groundwater ranged from 0.9 to 9.0.
- Chlorine is added for disinfection. The citywide average was 0.8 milligrams per liter, well under the state limit, but some people notice the taste.
- Late summer can bring an earthy taste. The city says some customers notice it most often in late summer, caused by naturally occurring compounds that conventional treatment doesn’t remove. They don’t affect safety, and the city notes that chilling the water can help.
If your office is outside city limits, your water may come from a different agency with its own annual report. It’s worth a look before you choose equipment.
Jugs, filtered coolers or Bevi?
Most offices end up choosing between three setups.
5-gallon jug coolers
Jug coolers work anywhere, with no plumbing required. The trade-off is handling. Someone has to receive deliveries, store full and empty bottles, and lift a heavy jug onto the cooler. When the last one runs out on a Friday afternoon, people go back to the tap.
Plumbed-in filtered coolers
A bottleless cooler connects to your existing water line and filters the water at the point of use. PVS Refreshments offers bottleless filtered water coolers in countertop and floor-standing models, with cold water and instant hot water at the press of a button. There are no jugs to store, and the cooler doesn’t run out.
Bevi smart water dispensers
Bevi machines are a step up for teams that drink a lot of sparkling or flavored water. The Standup 2.0 dispenses hot, cold, still and sparkling water. Bevi offers 17 flavor options with zero or low calories, and the touchless dispensing lets employees fill a bottle without pressing a shared button. It also cuts down on cans and plastic bottles in the recycling bin.
Don’t forget hot water for tea
With fall arriving, hot tea and instant oatmeal are about to get popular again. A cooler with a hot tap means nobody waits on a kettle. It also means hot drinks start with filtered water. The EPA’s guidance on maintaining water filters advises filtering water first and then heating it, rather than running hot water through a filter. A hot-and-cold filtered unit handles that order for you.
Questions to ask before you choose
Before you pick equipment, walk the space and answer a few questions:
- Is there a water line near the break room, or would a countertop or jug unit be easier?
- How many people fill bottles at the start of a shift, and will a single unit create a line?
- Do people want sparkling and flavored water, or mostly cold and hot?
- Who will own filter changes and cleaning if you don’t use a service?
Your answers usually point to one setup, or to a filtered cooler in one area and a Bevi in another.
Maintaining a water filtration system for office use
A filter only works if it gets changed. The same EPA guidance notes that cartridges wear out and become less effective with use. Some filters have indicator lights, and when there’s no light, you need to track the days or gallons since the last change.
In a busy office, that job tends to fall through the cracks. A water service takes it off your plate. PVS handles regular filter changes on our units and can also supply bottled water and other break room needs on the same visit. If you’re also setting up a tea service for the cooler months, the same team can keep both stocked.
Cleaner, colder water for Sacramento workplaces
PVS Refreshments runs its Sacramento branch on Power Inn Road and serves workplaces across the region. Our Sacramento team can help you compare a filtered cooler, a Bevi or both for your space. To get started, explore our water filtration service or call (844) 527-4800.