Drinking Water Resources
Meeting students’ water needs is vital for learning: Why water matters
How much water students need
Water consumption needs vary with temperature and an individual’s body size and level of activity. Food – especially fruits and vegetables – can meet part of our water needs. For young people, recommended daily water consumption (in addition to water from food) increases with age
Recommended Daily Water Consumption for Young People (1 cup = 8 oz)
Recommended school water environment
What influences how much water students drink at school? From January to March 2020, our partners at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health visited 17 representative schools across the District. They audited every drinking water outlet (363 total); interviewed principals, building engineers, nurses, teachers, and climate staff (104 total); and observed lunch and P.E. classes (32 hours total). Through this, they identified the following school-based factors as key to encouraging students to drink water.
Resources
Hydration station function
- Trouble-shooting for Elkay hydration stations
- Filter Changing – a minimum of once per year and as needed based on indicator light. Please contact the school building engineer if the indicator light is red and the filter needs to be changed.
Promotion: Signage, reusable bottles, handouts
Every District school has an Eat Right Philly nutrition education partner. Eat Right Philly can help your staff and students develop water promotion challenges and events; lead water education; provide water-promoting posters and signs; and in some cases provide reusable water bottles for students.
Classroom Connections
Promotion: Student-created videos
- Kensington High School: Plastic Literally Hurts
- W.B. Saul High School: Better Planet. Better Kidneys. Better You.
Policies, practices & communication
Water safety & quality
- District Safe Water Testing Program – includes school-by-school results
- Philadelphia Water Quality Reports
- Drink Philly Tap