Providing access to safe, appealing drinking water on school campuses is a foundational step toward promoting health, well-being, and sustainability. This START metric emphasizes ensuring that water is contaminant-free and appealing in terms of taste, odor, appearance, temperature, and presentation. Easy access to quality drinking water not only supports hydration and health but also reduces reliance on single-use plastic bottles, minimizing waste and environmental impact.
According to the CDC, access to clean drinking water in schools has been shown to improve students’ hydration, cognitive function, and overall academic performance (CDC). Ensuring the availability of safe and appealing drinking water also aligns with sustainability goals by promoting the use of reusable bottles and reducing plastic waste.
Strategies for Improving Drinking Water Access
NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it just offers ideas to inspire action and can be tailored to fit the unique needs of each school.
Test and Ensure Water Quality
Conduct regular testing for contaminants such as lead, bacteria, and other harmful substances.
Address issues promptly through remediation or by upgrading water systems to meet safety standards.
Install or Upgrade Drinking Fountains
Ensure fountains are clean, functional, and strategically placed throughout the campus.
Use touchless fountains or bottle-filling stations for improved hygiene and convenience.
Provide Bottle-Filling Stations
Install stations that dispense chilled, filtered water to encourage students and staff to use reusable bottles.
Promote the use of bottle-filling stations with signage or school-wide campaigns.
Monitor and Maintain Water Infrastructure
Schedule routine maintenance for water fountains and plumbing systems to ensure consistent functionality.
Replace outdated or damaged infrastructure that might affect water quality or availability.
Enhance Water Appeal
Provide chilled water to make it more refreshing and appealing, especially in warm climates.
Use filtration systems to improve taste, odor, and clarity.
Promote Reusable Water Bottles
Encourage students and staff to bring their own reusable bottles by offering incentives or hosting awareness events.
Provide branded reusable bottles as part of sustainability initiatives.
Ensure Accessibility
Place water fountains and bottle-filling stations in convenient, high-traffic areas like hallways, cafeterias, and playgrounds.
Ensure all stations are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Integrate Water Access into Curriculum
Teach students about the importance of water quality and hydration through science and health classes.
Involve students in projects that analyze campus water quality or usage patterns.
Reduce Bottled Water Dependency
Eliminate the sale of single-use bottled water on campus.
Work with food service providers to provide appealing alternatives, like free filtered water dispensers.
Engage the School Community
Raise awareness about the health and environmental benefits of drinking tap or filtered water.
Share data on the school’s efforts to improve water quality and reduce plastic waste.
Incorporate Green Design into Water Infrastructure
Use eco-friendly materials for water stations and ensure energy-efficient operation.
Include water-saving technology in faucets and fountains to reduce waste.
Track Usage and Gather Feedback
Monitor the use of water fountains and bottle-filling stations to identify areas for improvement.
Conduct surveys to gather input from students and staff on water access and appeal.
Address Equity in Access
Ensure all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, have access to safe and appealing water.
Provide reusable bottles or cups for students who may not have their own.
Celebrate Successes and Improvements
Share updates and milestones with the school community, such as the installation of new water stations or reductions in plastic waste.
Host events to promote hydration and highlight the importance of water access.
‘How To’ Guides
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How to Equip Your School with Water-Stations
Created by a GSA student intern, a primer on setting up water-bottle refilling stations at your school.
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School Drinking Water Needs Assessment Checklist & Planning Guide
From the CDC, a framework to help schools identify strengths, areas for improvement, and priority actions, and to develop measurable goals and objectives for improving access.
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Needs Assessment Overview
From the CDC, a guide to understanding the water-needs assessment process, from policies and testing requirements to personnel.
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Water Access in Schools Training and Toolkit (CDC)
From the CDC are short video training modules to help guide schools on steps to take to help students drink more water during the day. The CDC also provides a toolkit and how-to guide to increasing access to drinking water in schools.
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Student Activities Around Water and Plastic
"Activity ideas and curriculum integrations to engage students in learning about plastic waste, inspiring them to ditch single-use bottles. "
Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.
They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.
Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.
But how do we get there?
START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.
START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:
It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.
However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.
Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.
How sustainable is our school now?
Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success?
What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric? Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.
START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.
It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.
Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.
Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.
Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.
Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.