# Drinking Water (a) Drinking water from a noncontaminating fixture or container shall be readily available both indoors and in the outdoor activity area. (1) Children shall be free to drink as they wish. (2) Anchored steps or a broad-based platform shall be utilized when a drinking fountain is too high for the children in care. {% hint style="info" %} (3) Bottled water or portable containers will be allowed provided that: (A) The water and containers are kept free of contamination. (B) Bottled water containers are secured to prevent tipping and breaking. {% endhint %} (4) All water for drinking shall be potable as defined in the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 5. {% hint style="info" %} (A) Title 24, Part 5, defines potable water as water that is satisfactory for drinking, culinary and domestic purposes and meets the requirements of the health authority having jurisdiction. {% endhint %} > NOTE: Authority cited: Section 1596.81, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Sections 1596.72, 1596.73, 1596.81 and 1597.05, Health and Safety Code. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://t22.caqualityearlylearning.org/physical-environment/drinking-water.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.