It’s not that deep, it’s a food violation to leave something you’ve literally slobbered on close by to customers drinks and food. You’re are supposed to leave it in the back room.

Also, please please PLEASE, try to stay hydrated outside of your shift, at the very least it'll make the time away from a drink a little more manageable, and it's healthy so that's always a plus lol.

at my tarbux we are allowed to keep personal drinks with us as long as they're kept in a plastic bin specifically for them, behind the tarbux. our food safety inspectors say it has to be in the bin so that it can't affect any product if it's spilled. this probably differs by state but this is what we're allowed to do at my store.

even if your state doesn't allow this, if you can schedule an appointment with a doctor you should be able to get an accommodation that you must be able to have water at all times.