Next time you quench your thirst with one of those fizzy drinks better watch out! A small study concluded that soda fountain machines in restaurants and food outlets may be serving you drinks contaminated with fecal bacteria.

In the Roanoke Valley in Virginia nearly about 30 machine samples were tested and almost half of all sodas dispensed from the machines had coliform bacteria. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned Coliform bacteria in drinking water because of the possibility of fecal contamination it carries.

"The EPA regulates our drinking supply, and there can be some bacteria. We can't have that in our drinking supply. But they're coming out of these soda fountain machines," said Renee D. Godard, professor of biology at Hollins University and a co-author of the paper published in the January print issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology.

The kinds of bacteria soda machines contain can shock anyone. More shocking was that a majority of these bacteria were resistant to the 11 antibiotics tested by Godard.

While ruling out chances of a valley-wide contamination Godard said that the tap water and ice from the machines didn't test positive for bacteria.

Following the study report the Coca-Cola Company while clearing out its stand told the ABCNews. com that it has been 120 years since the company is serving fountain beverages and no illness has been reported.

Experts also stated that better cleaning of the instruments was needed and public should be denied access to dispensing their own sodas.