Smart water bottle filling stations can now “phone home” before filters need replacing

It started with a tweet.

At the airport, I noticed several water bottle filling stations with red filter warning lights, while others had no filter status lights at all. I wondered how often those filters actually get changed, and whether people should avoid using a station showing a red light.

That caught the attention of Zurn Elkay, one of the biggest manufacturers of water bottle filling stations. They invited me to Cal Poly Pomona to show me how the latest generation of bottle fillers is solving that problem.

The biggest change? They’re connected to the cloud.

Instead of waiting for someone to notice a red warning light or report a problem, the newest stations can automatically notify maintenance crews when a filter is nearing the end of its life. Staff can monitor every station remotely and know exactly which one needs attention, whether it’s down the hall or across campus.

The goal is simple: no more red lights and no more guessing.

The new Pro Filtration system also features filters rated for more than 10,000 gallons, up to seven times longer than many standard filters. They’re designed to be replaced in about 30 seconds without tools, making routine maintenance much easier.

At Cal Poly Pomona, where there are more than 200 buildings, facilities staff say remote monitoring helps them stay ahead of maintenance instead of waiting for complaints from students.

One final tip: don’t assume every bottle filling station filters the water. If you don’t see filter status lights anywhere on the unit, there’s a good chance it doesn’t have a filter installed at all.