A new year is solidly underway and more and more employees are filtering out of their homes and back to their offices. To keep staff happy and healthy as they return to work, hydration is key, and nothing boosts hydration, or employee wellbeing, like a dedicated office hydration station.
What exactly is an office hydration station? Think of it like a water cooler but with far more bells and whistles. A properly stocked office hydration station starts with crisp, purely refreshing water offered hot or cold (we, of course, prefer the award-winning goodness of Mountain Valley Spring Water). Cups — disposable and/or reusable — are helpful. From there, staff can add to and adjust the hydration station as they see fit.
From green-tea bags to fresh wedges of citrus, an office hydration station can be stocked any way the office likes. But starting with Mountain Valley Spring Water ensures that, no matter what else is included, staff are in for a hydrating treat.
That’s because Mountain Valley Spring Water comes from our protected spring, which is tucked into the verdant heart of the Ouachita Mountains of the Southern U.S. That spring pulls this water through layers of limestone, quartz and marble that not only filter our water but also imbue it with trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, minerals that give Mountain Valley its deliciously refreshing taste while giving your body a healthful boost of nutrients.
To preserve that award-winning flavor and those naturally occurring nutrients, Mountain Valley Spring Water is the only U.S. bottled water company still offering 2.5 and 5 gallon glass water jugs. Glass is neutral and inert, meaning it won’t leach off-putting chemicals into our wonderful spring water. Our glass bottles are also recycled the old-fashioned way: Once emptied, our delivery drivers pick up the glass bottles from your office or home and return them to our filling station where we clean and sanitize the bottles, then refill them with the lush spring water our fans so love. Plus, Mountain Valley’s glass bottles are beautiful (if we do say so ourselves) and make for an eye-catching centerpiece that’s sure to make any office hydration station a hit.
Office Hydration Stations: How to stock them
So, you’ve got a nice Mountain Valley Spring Water setup. Great start! What’s next for your office hydration station? We have a few ideas:
Make it sparkle
For employees who need some fizz in their lives, a sip or two of sparkling water can go a long way — and be a great addition to your office hydration station. Mountain Valley has you covered here, too. A mini-fridge stocked with bottles of Mountain Valley’s Sparkling and Sparkling Essence spring waters is sure to be a draw. Our Essence collection of sparkling flavored favorites has zero calories, zero sugars and zero sweeteners. What it does have are millions of tiny bubbles bursting with juicy flavors, including White Peach, Blackberry Pomegranate and Key Lime Twist.
Add even more electrolytes
While Mountain Valley includes naturally derived electrolytes, including the aforementioned magnesium, calcium and potassium, you can offer your staff even more with the help of electrolyte packets. These single-serve pouches can quickly and easily add a jolt of nutrition, plus a kick of flavor, to water. Look for brands that aren’t loaded with sugar, and although some come in tablet form, packets are more office friendly.
Hot to go
An office hydration station with cold and hot water gives your staff year-round options for all their cravings. Cozy mugs and insulated paper cups allow employees to make something for their desk or to go. Options include:
- Tea bags: From classic Earl Grey, to healthful green teas and spice-laden chais, a few boxes of tea bags can make your office hydration station the spot to be. Pinkies up!
- Instant coffee packets: Wow, these have come a long way. Once the saddest of sad desk drinks, these quickie packets are now being made by specialty coffee roasters around the country, and are a great option for that 2 p.m. pick-me-up when the main coffee pot has run dry.
- Instant oatmeal: No, you can’t quite drink oatmeal, but for employees on the run, offering them a quick, hot and healthful bite makes sense.
- Hot cocoa: If your staff braved freezing temperatures to get to their desks, why not reward them with a hot, sweet treat?
Get fresh
A splash of citrus is, perhaps, the easiest and healthiest way to add oomph to water while also helping your employees drink more of it. While not every office has time to cut fresh lemon and lime wedges each morning, you can cut them every few days and leave them in a mini-fridge as part of the office hydration station experience. Or bottles of lemon and lime juice work nicely, and can be just as citrusy with far less effort.
Snacks, snacks, snacks
While Mountain Valley Spring Water is certainly magnetic, few things bring staff out of their offices better than fresh, fun snacks. While hydration is the point of the office hydration station, snacks can help round out the experience and keep folks coming back.
Ice
On hot days, few things feel better than an ice-cold glass of water. Whether it’s making sure the ice maker is working properly in the break-room fridge, or splurging for a specialty ice machine that makes those delectably chewy ice nuggets, it never hurts to help your staff chill out.
Office Hydration Stations: Make them easy with office water delivery
If you’re ready to create an office hydration station that is so much more than a water cooler, then we at Mountain Valley Spring Water are ready to help.
In addition to being imbued with trace minerals, Mountain Valley’s purely crisp flavor has made us the most award-winning bottled water company in the United States. Thanks to the esteemed judges of the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, Mountain Valley has racked up 19 honors, including three first-place (in the world!) finishes for our still and sparkling water offerings. Mountain Valley is exceptional water, which is exactly what you and your employees deserve.
The best part of stocking your office hydration station with Mountain Valley Spring Water? It is so, so easy to get started and kick off the New Year properly. Mountain Valley offers office (and home!) delivery all across the U.S. All you have to do is click here.
