18Drinking water

(1) In every factory effective arrangements shall be made to provide and maintain at suitable points conveniently situated for all workers employed therein a sufficient supply of wholesome drinking water.

(2) All such points shall be legibly marked "drinking water" in a language understood by a majority of the workers employed in the factory, and no such point shall be situated within ¹[six metres of any washing place, urinal, latrine, spittoon, open drain carrying sullage or effluent or any other source of contamination] unless a shorter distance is approved in writing by the Chief Inspector.

(3) In every factory wherein more than two hundred and fifty workers are ordinarily employed, provision shall be made for cool drinking water during hot weather by effective means and for distribution thereof.

(4) In respect of all factories or any class or description of factories the State Government may make rules for securing compliance with the provisions of sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) and for the examination by prescribed authorities of the supply and distribution of drinking water in factories.