Getting Back on Tap

Limited School Drinking Water Access for Youth

“…18 Although district- or school-level wellness policies could set requirements for water access, few of such policies have been found to do so. 19 At the federal level, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide drinking water at no cost to students during lunch, in the places where they are served lunch. 20 This requirement went into effect during the 2011–2012 school year.…”

“…Access varies by region and by the sociodemographic makeup of the student body, 18 and providing adequate access to safe water can be challenging for schools with older infrastructure or limited access to safe tap water sources. 19, 22–23 Although a recent, nationally representative survey of U.S. public schools found that most public school students (over 86%) attend schools that meet the HHFKA requirement for providing free water during lunch, 24 this survey relied on reports from school principals, the validity of which are unclear. In order to assess whether public health action is needed to improve water access in schools and thus reduce the potential negative health impacts of inadequate water intake and hydration, there is a need for objectively measured data about the adequacy of water access in schools.…”

“…From these direct observations, we evaluated whether schools met the Massachusetts state plumbing codes as of spring 2012, as well as whether the schools met the HHFKA requirement for free water access during lunch. These two policies were the relevant drinking water access policies in place at the time for Massachusetts schools; although Massachusetts now has a state regulation specifying that free drinking water must be made available to students throughout the day (implemented in the 2012–2013 school year), this was not in place at the time of the study 19 Similarly, although it is possible for local education agencies to issue district wellness policies that specify the provision of drinking water to students, very few Massachusetts districts (6%) had such policies in place. 19 Lastly, to assess the validity of administrator-reported data about school water access, we compared our direct observations of water access in lunchroom areas to reports about water access in lunchroom areas from school food service directors.…”

Grab a Cup, Fill It Up! An Intervention to Promote the Convenience of Drinking Water and Increase Student Water Consumption During School Lunch

“…21 Although most students report that schools comply with this regulation, 22 compliance can mean simply having a water fountain in the cafeteria, which does not necessarily translate to easy access or convenience. Drinking water access may be compromised in schools with older infrastructure 23 or municipal water safety issues. 24 Although schools may opt to provide bottled instead of tap water, this is a less sustainable solution because of the higher costs 25 and the labor required for its distribution 23 ; improving tap water access is therefore an important goal.…”

“…Drinking water access may be compromised in schools with older infrastructure 23 or municipal water safety issues. 24 Although schools may opt to provide bottled instead of tap water, this is a less sustainable solution because of the higher costs 25 and the labor required for its distribution 23 ; improving tap water access is therefore an important goal. However, even when students have access to free tap water, they may not drink it 26 ; students often perceive tap water as unsafe or unpalatable 27,28 despite tougher safety standards than bottled water.…”