Abstract: The invention involves the use in a drinking fountain of a large control bar which is pressed by the user to operate a water flow control mechanism. The control bar is located at the front of the fountain. The control bar covers the entirety of the front of the fountain, providing the user clear access to the control bar without obstruction by any other part of the fountain when the fountain is approached at its front. The control bar operates a valve which controls water flow. The embodiment of the control bar and associated mechanisms for controlling the valve may be entirely mechanical, entirely electrical, or a combination of the two. The control bar may additionally be provided with a surface which is sensuously differentiable from the rest of the fountain.