This picture, http://imgur.com/e9GzE3O, is widely circulated as an example of US separate but equal policy. But if you think at all the US public water fountains today, they look like the utilitarian one on the right--not the fancy water cooler style on the left.
Does the water on the left taste better/better refresh?
Did the one on the right become the industry norm out of spite?
I am not familiar with the particular model of fountain shown in your example photo, but as to your questions:
The whites only fountain would have been better in the sense that the base concealed a small water tank and refrigeration unit so that it produced chilled water (note the electrical conduit to power the compressor). The other fountain either had an additional tap into the tank or split off from the incoming line and delivered ambient temperature water.
Neither style predominates today. Whether or not additional refrigeration is supplied is a choice made by the designers of the installation based on budget or location constraints.
On a playground or park you'll get an ambient temperature spigot from a pipe. In a school hallway? Most likely a refrigeration system but modern systems are either built in to the wall or are much smaller than that shown. The giveaway for a chilled water unit is the presence of a vent to allow airflow around the radiator coil.
One little gotcha that popped up in the mid-1990s was media attention noting that the water tanks on those old units tended to have lead soldered seams. This resulted in the remediation of many older style floor anchored systems.
Sorry I didn't pose my question in the post title.