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I have a 14 or 15 year old torbie (tortoise shell-tabby) and over the past several months she seems to have taken a great interest in water--specifically "drippy water" from faucets. Every time I go to the bathroom she follows me in and hops in the tub, waiting for me to nudge the water spigot so that the water will drip. I do maintain a large bowl of water that I change every two days or so, so there's plenty of water around. (It's right next to the cat kibble.)
A couple years ago one of my cats died at the age of 15 or 16 from kidney failure and he seemed to lap up water constantly and urinate heavily. (The litter box was almost swimming.) My girl's situation doesn't seem to be anywhere near that bad yet, but I'm concerned that her obsession and strong desire to drink "drippy water" from faucets is a sign of the beginning of the end for her. Otherwise she seems to be fine and quite perky for a 14 or 15 year old kitty.
Does it sound like she's in the early stages of kidney failure?
Increased thirst is certainly something to check out. Kidney disease, hyperthyroid, diabetes, I think all of these may sometimes be associated with thirst. My 16-year-old torbie drinks a fair bit it seems; she has hyperthyroid and takes methimazole to control it. (You would likely notice a significant weight loss with hyperthyroid.) She's been drinking running water for several years now on purpose though as I bought her a Drinkwell fountain.
By the way, changing a regular bowl of water every 2 days is a little infrequent. It should be daily at least. You know, Amber's fountain is right next to her food too but I learned recently that many cats don't necessarily want the water right by the food. So that could be something to try. Or try her own fountain if that is possible. But cats are creatures of habits and sometimes almost rituals so the whole process of following you into the bathroom may continue.
The dry food isn't helping as cats naturally would get most of their water from the food itself rather than by drinking. It would be reasonable to consider trying to switch at least some of her intake to a wet food (canned or otherwise) that is mainly meat.
I would take her to the vet with this info (possible increased thirst) and have them do a typical senior blood panel to see what if anything is up. All of the conditions have treatments that can add months or years to her life. Kidney disease does result in dehydration and this can be eased by subcutaneous (sub-q as it is known in shorthand) fluid injections. Kidney disease is typically not noticed until half or more of kidney function is gone, but with the fluid treatment (which will help keep them eating, which can otherwise be a problem) you can add months or even years to her life.
For all of her 19 years, Weasie loved to run into the bathroom and hop in the tub as soon as the shower was turned off. Something about the draining water made that H2O better than any other. When her life was nearing its end (liver cancer) part of the pampering that I poured on, so to speak, was to purposely open the bathtub faucet several extra times per day. In she'd scoot to guzzle away. Her kidneys were still A-OK until her very last week when everything started to fail.
Cousins of mine have a cat who lives to gulp down bathtub water as it leaves the faucet. Nothing else will do. Meanwhile, the successors to Weasie are happy enough with tap water in bowls - or from their cooler - but high-tail it outside after a rainstorm to drink their fill from any container they can find that's captured some of what's recently left the sky. They (aged ~3 years and ~8 months) are perfectly healthy.
This is not to say that the OP shouldn't consult with a vet, particularly since the cat involved has newly discovered tub water. I wanted to tell my stories so that there wasn't undue alarm over that development all the same.
Snickers loves to drink out of drains and faucets, but it's not a new thing - he's been doing it since I got him, and I've had him for going on eight years. He just can't wait for me to get out of the shower, so he can get in and drink out of the drain. Sometimes he'll sit outside the shower stall and whine until I get out, so he can get in.
In and of itself, choosing to drink from a dripping faucet, something new after 14 or 15 years, isn't necessarily an indicator of a medical problem - it could be that your kitty just discovered an easier or more fun way to drink. Maybe after 14/15 years she found a way to eureka! drink without water going up her nose. However, as you've experienced in the past and others have mentioned, an obsessiveness with drinking or drinking in large quantities could be a sign of an issue. Ease your mind by taking her to the vet for a check-up.
I have a 14 or 15 year old torbie (tortoise shell-tabby) and over the past several months she seems to have taken a great interest in water--specifically "drippy water" from faucets. Every time I go to the bathroom she follows me in and hops in the tub, waiting for me to nudge the water spigot so that the water will drip. I do maintain a large bowl of water that I change every two days or so, so there's plenty of water around. (It's right next to the cat kibble.)
A couple years ago one of my cats died at the age of 15 or 16 from kidney failure and he seemed to lap up water constantly and urinate heavily. (The litter box was almost swimming.) My girl's situation doesn't seem to be anywhere near that bad yet, but I'm concerned that her obsession and strong desire to drink "drippy water" from faucets is a sign of the beginning of the end for her. Otherwise she seems to be fine and quite perky for a 14 or 15 year old kitty.
Does it sound like she's in the early stages of kidney failure?
Get her to the vet, you can't prevent it but the sooner you treat it the better. You are describing exactly what my cat did. We treated early and she lived a happy life 20 years.
She just passed away 1 week ago. She also had hyperthyroidism and respiratory problems because she has water on the lung. Get low sodium cat food too. It was a fine line to walk.
Please note that this thread was active three years ago and the OP never followed up, at least here.
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drinks a fair bit it seems; she has hyperthyroid and takes methimazole to control it. (You would likely notice a significant weight loss with hyperthyroid.) She's been drinking running water for several years now on purpose though as I bought her a Drinkwell fountain.
When her life was nearing its end (liver cancer) part of the pampering that I poured on, so to speak, was to purposely open the bathtub faucet several extra times per day. In she'd scoot to guzzle away. Her kidneys were still A-OK until her very last week when everything started to fail. 
