Bringing Free Drinking Water Back to California Schools

To help California schools comply with new requirements and support student health, ChangeLab Solutions developed this fact sheet to highlight strategies to make drinking water more readily available, including ways for parents and community members to get involved.

In schools throughout California, the drinking fountains we might remember from our youth have become all but relics of the past. But drinking fresh water during the day can help students improve their overall health and willingness to learn – and because children spend most of their day at school, school policies and programs can have a major impact on encouraging water consumption.

California recently passed legislation requiring schools to provide fresh, free drinking water to students during meal times, a requirement that now applies nationwide with the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. But schools face many barriers to making free water readily accessible, including deteriorating infrastructure and other costs, poor perceptions of tap water, and the prevalence of competing beverages. Download our fact sheet today to learn more.