THIS MONTH IN ENGINEERING | June 8, 1911 | The Origins of Public Water Access

In June 1911, Halsey Willard Taylor and Luther Haws were granted a patent for a fixture most people use without a second thought, the drinking fountain. At a time when public hygiene was still poorly understood, this hands-free, upward-spouting solution quietly reshaped access to water.

Luther Haws’ idea was sparked in 1905 when he witnessed a child drinking from a shared tin cup at school. Concerned by the unhygienic conditions, he developed a sanitary alternative designed to reduce the spread of disease. That single idea led to the founding of Haws Corporation in 1906, the first company to manufacture public drinking fountains. More than a century later, Haws continues to advance water safety systems for both everyday and emergency use.

The 1911 design became a catalyst for change. Drinking fountains spread quickly through schools, train stations, and factories, embedding public health into everyday infrastructure. Taylor, who lost his father to a waterborne illness, had a clear objective: provide safe, accessible water in places where people lived, worked, and learned.

That same intent still underpins hydraulic design today. At Goldfish & Bay, we approach design with that same principle in mind, safety, reliability, and long-term performance. From backflow prevention to pressure zoning, from water reuse systems to compliant fixture locations, modern hydraulic services are shaped by both regulation and experience.

Most hydraulic work goes unseen, but its role is fundamental. These systems support daily function, safety, and compliance throughout a building. And while we now design with smart meters, hydraulic modelling, and sustainability targets, the goal remains the same: deliver water where and when it’s needed, without compromise.

What small design choices have made the biggest impact on your projects?

How often do we consider the history behind the systems we install?

🔗 Sources:

• U.S. Patent No. 994,824 – Drinking Fountain (1911)

• Haws Corporation – Our Story

• Smithsonian Magazine: The Invention of the Drinking Fountain

• ASPE Plumbing Engineering Design Handbook, Vol. 1

Images:

Luther Haws, early 1900s. His drinking fountain design was driven by public health needs | New York City, on a hot summer day, ca. 1908–1915 | Historic ads from Haws and Halsey Taylor showing early product rollout | 1911 patent drawing for the sanitary drinking faucet (U.S. Patent No. 985,757) | Children at a shared school fountain — the issue Haws aimed to fix | 1927 Halsey Taylor schematic with stream and drainage control (U.S. Patent No. 1,624,081)