Post on 07-Feb-2018
Water provision
Contents
Introduction 3
Benefitsofwaterprovision 3
Whatiswaterprovision? 4
Stepbystepplan 5
Waterprovisionchecklist 13
Integratingwithotherschoolfoodprojects 13
Curriculumlinks 14
Sourcesoffurtherinformation 16
Introduction Benefits of water provision
Thisguidanceonwaterprovision
willsupportyourschoolinreviewing,
improving,andpromotingwaterin
schools.
Forthemajorityofprimaryschools,
allowingpupilstodrinkwaterthrough
thedayisnowcommonplace.
Inpost-primaryschools,water
availabilityislessvisibleandwater
maybeseenbypupilsasaless
attractiveoptionthanalternative
drinks.Researchshowstheamount
offluidconsumedbymostyoung
peopleisbelowtherecommended
levelsforgoodhealthandwellbeing,
andthataninterventionplanis
desirable.Whereschoolshave
improvedwaterprovisionandhave
developedaneffectivepolicyfor
promotingwater,pupilsconsume
morewateronaregularbasis.
Providingandpromotingwater:
• createsaplentifulsourceoflowcost
refreshmentthroughouttheday;
• encouragesgoodhealthandwellbeing
amongpupils,staffandotheradults;
• reducestiredness,irritabilityanddistraction
fromthirst;
• canhaveapositiveeffectonpupils’
concentrationthroughouttheday;
• demonstratestoparentsandtothelocal
communitythattheschoolvaluespupils’
healthandwellbeing;
• raisesawarenessoftheimportanceof
adequatefluidintakeandhealthyeatingas
partofahealthy,activelifestyle.
3
What is water provision?
Accesstowaterisafundamentalhumanrightandnecessaryfor
goodhealth.Schoolscanencourageconsumptionofwaterby:
• supplyinggoodqualitywater;
• providingwaterfreeofcharge;
• permittingaccesstodrinkingwaterwhenrequired;
• ensuringitisaccessibletoall;
• promotinggoodhabitsthroughoutthedayandinparticular
followingexerciseandinwarmconditions;
• ensuringthathygienic,modernwatersourcesareavailableand
maintained;
• listeningtocomplaintsandsuggestionsregardingtheprovision
ofwater.
“I am drinking a lot more water now, probably about two bottles
a day at school… I’m drinking water at home and I’m getting my
parents to do it.”Year4pupil
4
5
Step by step plan
1. Getting started
Assessingcurrentwaterprovisionshouldbeundertakenbyyourschoolcouncilorschool
nutritionactiongroup(SNAG),aspartofawholeschoolapproach(seebooklettwo:
Establishing a whole school food policy).Ensurethatpupils,teachers,parentsandcaterers
areinvolvedinthisprocess.
Therearetwobasicstepstoimprovingyourschool’sprovision:
• recognisingtheimportanceofgoodwaterprovision;
• implementingpracticalmeasurestoensureaccesstofresh,cleanwateratschool.
Thepolicyshouldensurethatwaterisfreelyavailableandaccessiblethroughouttheschool
day.Waterconsumptionbyadultsshouldalsobepartofawholeschoolapproach,egensuring
thatprovisionismadeinthestaffroom.
Whenaddressingwaterprovisioninyourschool,youmayneedtoconsider:
• currentprovisionandconsumptionofwater;
• pupilandstaffunderstandingofwaterforhealth(asthismighthavecurriculumlinks);
• budgetandfundingavailable;
• physicalschoolset-upandfacilities,egdrainage,mainssupplyandelectricitypoints;
• managementofwaterprovision;
• curriculumlinkswithwater,especiallythroughscienceandtechnologyandhomeeconomics;
• linkstoNorthernIrelandWaterthroughitseducationdepartment.
Step by step plan
2. Providing water at school
Drinkingwatershouldbeapleasantexperienceforpupils,ratherthanonetobeenduredor
avoided.
Howmuchpupilsdrinkatschooldependsonthetype,location,number,attractiveness,
palatabilityandaccessibilityofdrinkingfacilities.Thereisnooneapproachforallschools.More
thanoneapproachortypeoffacilitymaybeappropriatewithinyourschool.Analysisofthe
site,usageandpossiblemanagementstrategiesareimportantwhenmakingachoiceandnew
facilitieswillneedtocomplementorreplacethosealreadyinplace.Thesefactorsneedtobe
consideredinlightofyourwaterprovisionpolicy.
Point of use water coolers
Pointofuse(POU)devicesusemainswaterthathasacoolerpoweredbymainselectricity.
Theyhavetheadvantageofbeingplumbedintothemains.Theirappearanceismodernand
appealingtousersandtheyhavebeenfoundtoencouragereluctantdrinkers.Mostofferchilled
andambienttemperaturewater.Thesefacilitiesareusuallythemostpracticalwatercoolersin
schoolsastheyhavelowerlong-termrunningcosts.Theymaybeboughtoutrightorrentedand
canbeusedwithdisposablecups,conesorbottles.Installationcostcanbehighifthemains
waterpipeneedsre-siting.Regularmaintenance,everysixmonths,isrecommended.
POUcoolersrequirecarefulsitingonaccountoftheneedfortheirconnectiontoservices
(electricity,watermainsanddrainage)aswellasthefactthatpupilsgatheraroundthem.
Researchshowsthatthistypeofprovisionispopularwithusers.
Bottled water coolers
Theseapplianceshavealargeinvertedbottleofwateronthetopthatdispenseswaterbythe
userpressingabuttonorlever.Theyaresimpletoinstallandcanbecheaptorentorbuy,but
requireongoingpurchaseofbottleswhichcanmakethesecoolersexpensiveinthelongterm.
6
Storageisneededforfullandemptybottles,andreplacingthesewillinvolvecarryingandlifting.
Thebottleshaveausebydateandshouldbestoredawayfromdirectsunlight.Theappliance
isfittedwithacooler,soapowerpointisneeded.Itcanbeusedtofilldisposablecups,cones
andbottles.Bottledwatercoolersmayhavedriptraysthatwillneedtobeemptieddailyand
thisshouldbeconsideredastowhowillberesponsibleforthisandwhetheritwouldcausea
temptationtopupilstointerferewithit.Thistypeofprovisionispopularwithusers,althoughthe
equipmentneedsattentiontoensureuninterruptedprovisionandcanbeexpensive.
Traditional water fountains
Thesedeviceshaveaspout,oftenproducingavertical‘fountain’ofwaterfromanopening
attheheadofthewaterdeliverypipe.Theycanbeuseddirectlyortofilldisposablecups,
conesandbottles,providedtheyhavetherightshapednozzle.Thejetfromthespoutmustbe
sufficientlyhightoavoidcontactbetweenthespoutandlips.Moreoften,pupilsdrinkdirectly
fromthespoutwhichwouldbeinadvisable.Theyareoftenunhygienicandunappealing.They
musthaveawatersupplyanddrainage.Itispossibletoaddrenewablefilterunitstothese
fountains.Themaindisadvantageofthistypeoffountainisthatifpupilsdrinksolelyfromthe
spoutitdoesnotprovideanadequateamountofwater.Ifthistypeofprovisionisusedin
schools,supplementarydrinksmustbeprovided.
Modern water fountains
Modernfountainshaveenhanceddesignfeaturessuchasswanneckdispensers,built-in
coolingsystems,filtersandattractivedesign.Theswanneckdesignisrecommendedfor
refillingbottlesandcups.
Modernwaterfountainsmusthavewastewaterdisposalarrangements.Ifchillingisrequired,a
mainselectricitysupplyisneeded.Filterswillneedreplacingatregularintervals.Thesefountains
requireregularmaintenanceandneedtoberobustindesignwithaminimumofmovingparts.
Juniormodels,lowerthanthenormalheight,areavailableforprimaryschools.Thistypeof
provisionisattractivetousers.
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Step by step plan
Taps
Iftapsareused,theseshouldbesupplieddirectlyfromthemainsandclearlylabelledas
suitablefordrinking.Theareamustbehygienic,withsinksthatarecleanandempty.Itis
possibletoaddchillunitstoimprovepalatability.
Disposablecupsshouldalwaysbeavailable.Pupilscouldrefilltheirownwaterbottles.
Dedicatedtapsfordrinkingwaterdonotoftenexistinschools.
Water quality
MainstapwaterinNorthernIrelandisofahighdrinkingqualityandcomplieswithallUKand
EUstandards.
Water bottles
Bottlesarethemostcost-effectivemeansofallowingpupilsaccesstowaterthroughout
theday.Themainadvantagesofbottlesarethattheycanbecarriedbypupilsorleftina
designatedarea.Theyarealsopopularwithpupils,especiallywhenplacedondeskswithin
arm’sreach.Bottlesmaybepurchasedandsomeschoolsincludewaterbottlesintheuniform
listtonewparents.Wherepupilsareinvitedtobringintheirownbottles,take-upmaybelow.
ConsidercontactingNorthernIrelandWater’seducationdepartmentwhichprovideswater
bottlesaspartofits‘WaterforHealth’talkatschoolsorwhenschoolsvisittheSilentValley.
Effectivemanagementisrequiredforfilling,cleaningandreplacingofbottles.Waterquality,
costandtemperature(iechilling)arethemainissuestoconsiderandhygieniccleaningis
essential.Thequalityofthebottlecanimpactonitslifespan.Youwillalsoneedtodecide
whethertheyarefilledathomeorinschool.
Top tips
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• Waterbottlesshouldnotbeshared.
Labelthebottlewiththenameofthe
pupil.
• Useclearplasticcontainers.
• Ifbottlesarekeptatschool,theyshould
befilledinthemorningor,ifthereis
sufficientspace,refrigeratedovernight.
• Ifschoolstakeresponsibilityforbottle
cleanliness,itisadvisabletoseekadvice
fromthelocalenvironmentalhealth
department.
• Dishwasheractionortheuseofa
sterilisingagentshouldbesufficientto
cleandrinkingvesselsandbottles.
Absorbent matting
Absorbentmattingisrecommendedforusewithalltypesofcoolerorfountain.Itcomesin
differentsizesandshapesandismadeofnylon,whichisthermallybondedtorubberbacking.
Ifaswanneckfountainisbeingused,u-shapedmatscanbeplacedonthefloor.Matscan
absorbmorethanagallonofwaterpersquaremetre.Matsneedtobewashedregularly;
therefore,maintenanceandcosttoschoolswouldneedtobeconsidered.
Case study
Atasmallpost-primaryschoolwherepupilswereallowedtodrinkwateratanytimeofthe
day,includinglessons,fewdidastheywerenotawareoftheentitlement.Drinkinghabitswere
regardedaspoor.Aftertheinstallationofthreenewwatercoolersandtheprovisionofwater
bottlesforallpupils,waterconsumptionincreasedsignificantly.Pupilsnowkeeptheirbottles
withthemontheirdesksandtakethemoutontothesportsfieldsduringbreaktimes,PE
lessonsandafter-schoolgames.
“I never drank water before now, but I do now. Everyone’s drinking more. It tastes better
because it comes out of the cooler.”Year10pupil
9
Care of bottles
Athome:bottlesshouldbewasheddaily
inwarmsoapywater,rinsedandlefttoair-
dryupsidedown.Thenozzleofasportscap
shouldbeopenedandflushedthrough.The
bottlescouldalsobewashedinadishwasher
takingcaretoseparatethecapfromthe
bottle.Childrencanbeshownatschoolhow
towashandcarefortheirwaterbottleand
teachersmayinspectbottlesforcleanliness.
Atschool:iftheschoolisprovidingthe
bottles,youmayprefertokeepthem
on-site.Youcanbesurethebottlesare
washeddaily,butitdoescreateanother
job.Insomeschools,thereareconcerns
overotherfluidsbeingputintothebottles,
soitisthoughtpreferablethatpupils
filltheirbottlesatschoolorconsider
introducingarulearoundthisissue.
Step by step plan
Researchshowsthatschoolshavetraditionallyreliedondrinkingwaterbeingavailabletopupils
inorclosetotoilets.Drinkingwaterintoiletsisnolongerpermittedasitisunhygienicanddoes
notpromotewaterconsumption.Dependingonthesizeofaschoolandlevelofwaterusage,
itislikelythatanumberofdistributionpointswillbeneeded.Foryoungerpupils,theuseof
shallowcratestostorebottlesinacentralplace,awayfromsourcesofheat,allowingpupils
frequentaccessandregularwaterbreakswillbeimportant.
Schoolsshouldalsoconsiderthefollowing:
• accessandroutestowaterforadultsandpupils,including
thosewithdisabilities;
• proximitytoastorageareaforsuppliesandcleaning
apparatus;
• theneedforsurveillanceorsupervision,egdistribution
pointsinopenareassothatpupilsaresafefrombullying
andmisbehaviour;
• theproximitytoadequatedrainage;
• theproximitytoamainswaterandelectricitysupply,if
required;
• thecleaningandmonitoringofthedrinkingfacilities;
• accessforpupilsengagedinPEandsimilaractivities;
• theproximityofitemsthatarenotcompatiblewithwater.
Safety
• Waterandelectricitydonotmix.Mostclassroomshaveelectricalapparatus.Procedures
mustbeenforcedtominimiserisk.
• Becauseofthepotentialhealthandsafetyrisk,nocupsorbottlesofwatershouldbekept
nearcomputers(orotherelectricalequipment)orusedinsciencelabs.
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3. Siting water in school
Schooleffortstoimprovewaterprovisionandencouragetheincreasedconsumptionofwater
willbehamperedif:
• accesstotoiletsisrestricted;
• thetoiletsareoff-putting:dirty,smellyorpoorlymaintained;
• apupildoesnotfeelsafeusingthemduetoanti-socialbehaviourorfearofintimidation;
• pupilsavoidorrestrictdrinkinginordertoavoidusingtheschooltoilets.
Itisimportantthatpupilsareallowedtogotothetoiletwhentheyneedto,especiallyifthey
arebeingencouragedtodrinkwater.Restricteduseoftoiletfacilitiescanleadtopsychological
problems,constipation,wettingandurinaryproblems.Encouragetheuseofthetoiletatbreak
andlunchtimetominimisedisruptiontoteaching.Pupilswhodonotneedtogotothetoiletat
leastonceatschoolneedtodrinkmore.
Thereisevidencethatincreasedavailabilityofwaterandencouragementtodrinkregularlydoes
increasetheneedfortoiletvisitsinitiallybut,asgoodhabitsaredeveloped,thisneedrevertsto
normal.Itisimportantthattoiletshavecleanandwell-stockedwashingfacilities.Thisincludes
warmwater,soapandhygienichanddryersforusebypupils.
Case study
Asmallruralschoolhadawaterdrinkingpolicyinplace.Toimproveconsumption,awater
coolerwasinstalledineveryclassroom.Previously,pupilshadfilledtheirbottlesfromatapand
keptthebottleswiththemintheclassroom.Pupilsandstaffagreethatbyhavingcoolersin
everyclassroomaccesstofresh,chilledwaterhasimproveduptakeenormously.Pupilsfound
thechilledwatertastierandmorerefreshing.Thecombinationofeasyaccessandappealhas
greatlyinfluencedtheirconsumption.
11
Step by step plan
12
Waterawarenessandconsumptioncanberaisedinschoolby:
• askingtheschoolcouncilorSNAGtodiscussideasforpromotion;
• developingcampaignsandposterproduction,egacompetitiontodesignthebestposter
wouldbeagreatwaytoraiseawarenessoftheimportanceofwaterinschool;
• havingwater-onlydaystoexploretheissues;
• arrangingasponsoredswimforawatercharitytoemphasisetheissues;
• enteringtheschoolinaregionalcompetition.NorthernIrelandWaterrunayearly‘Waterfor
Health’competition;
• promotingtheavailabilityoffreewaterwithinschoolcatering;
• writingapressreleasetogenerateinterestinlocal(andnational)press;
• promotingwaterdrinkingontheschoolwebsite.Apop-upmessageoneachpageofthe
websitewillemphasisethemessageuntilgoodpracticeisestablished;
• ensuringthatallnewslettersanddocumentsgeneratedintheschoolpromotethemessage
thatdrinkingwaterisgoodforyou;
• informingparentsregularlyaboutwaterprovisionatschool;
• usingadultsaspositiverolemodels;
• holdingahealthdayorweektopromotewaterandhealthiereating;
• startingacurriculumprojecttosurveypupilandstaffconsumption,beforeandafterwaterpromotion;
• gettingpupilstomakeapresentationontheimportanceofwateratassembliesorinclass;
• arrangingvisitsfromspeakers,forexample,alocalhealthprofessionalorsportspersonality
orNorthernIrelandWater;
• inclusioninthewholeschoolfoodpolicyandintegrationintohealthyschoolsactivities.
Partofyourwaterpolicyshouldbetoreviewwhethertheobjectivessetoutforyourschoolare
beingmet.Forexample,youcould:
• considertheattitudesofpupils,staffandparents;
• reviewtherobustnessoftheequipment;
• calculatetheamountofwaterconsumed;
• collectcommentsandsuggestionsondaytodayoperationsandmanagement;
• recordmistakesmadeandlessonslearntalongtheway.
5. Evaluating success
4. Promoting water in school
Water provision checklist
Areyouclearaboutthebenefitsofimprovingwaterprovisioninyourschool?
Areyouclearaboutwhatyouwanttoachieve?
HaveyouinvolvedtheschoolcouncilorSNAG?
Haveyouconsultedandinvolvedpupilsandparentsindecisionmakingfromtheoutset?
Haveyoudecidedwhereandhowwaterwillbeprovided?
Doallpupilsandstaffhaveaccesstowateratalltimes?
Iswaterconsumptionactivelyencouragedbothinclassandduringbreakandlunchtime?
Arepupilsawareofthebenefitsofdrinkingmorewater?
Doyouhavea‘codeofconduct’inrelationtowater?
Doyouhaveaprocedureforrecordingwhetherpupilsdrinkenoughwater?
Haveyouestablishedasystemtoensuregoodmaintenanceandhygienicstandardsof
waterfacilities?
Arethetoiletswellmaintained,cleanandopenthroughouttheday?
Haveyouplannedapolicytopromotewaterprovisionandconsumption?
Haveyouplannedhowyouwillmonitorandevaluatetheimpactofyourimprovedwater
provision?
Therearemanynaturallinkswhichcanbemadetootherschoolfoodprojects,dependingon
yourschool.Linkstowaterprovisioncouldinclude:
• Ensuringthatallpupilshavefreeaccesstowaterinlinewiththenutritionalstandardsfor
schoollunchandotherfoodanddrinksinschools.
• Promotingandactivelyencouragingtheprovisionandconsumptionoffreewateratthe
breakfastclub,breaktimeandlunchtime.
• Promotingandactivelyencouragingtheprovisionandconsumptionofwater.Creatinga
waterinspiredthemeforthediningroomtopromoteconsumption.
• Encouragingpupilsandparentstoincludewaterineverylunchbox.Watershouldbefreely
availableforthosewhodonothaveadrinkintheirlunchbox.
Integrating with other school food projects
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Curriculum links
Waterprovisionprovidesacontextforawidevarietyofcurriculumlinks,including:
Primary
Personal development and mutual understanding
Theconceptofahealthylifestyleencompassestheimportanceofpersonalhygiene,andthe
provisionofwatertohomesandbusinessesandabasicutilityintheUK.
The world around us
Thereareopportunitiesforpupilstolearnaboutthewatercycleandcomparehowweather
conditionsinavarietyofcountriesaffectwatersupply.Specialistvocabularymightinclude
‘drought’,‘flooding’and‘torrential’.
Religious education
Thespiritual,moral,socialandculturalsignificanceofwateranditssymbolismindifferentfaiths
maybeexplored.
The arts
Art and design–pupilsmightreviewportrayalsofwaterusingdifferentmediabyothers,and
recordtheirownfirst-handexperienceandinvestigationtoexplorethethemeofwater.
Post-primary
Science and technology
Pupilscanlearnabouttheroleofwaterfluoridationindentalhealthandthecleaningprocess
forwater.
The arts
Music–watermaybeaninspirationformusicalcompositionorperformance.
Art and design–usingvisualtechniquestodisplaytheuseofwaterinoureverydaylives.
Physical education
Theimportanceofhydrationinphysicalactivityandperformancecanbediscussed.
Learning for life and work
Home economics–Theroleofwaterindietandhealthcanbediscussed.
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15
16
Sources of further information
Thefollowinglistprovideslinkstofurther
resourcesandinformationthatmaysupport
youindevelopingyourwaterprovision.
Northern Ireland Water
www.niwater.com
NorthernIrelandWateristhesole
providerofwaterinNorthernIreland.
Theyhavearangeofinitiativesand
advicetohelpsupportschoolswhichis
deliveredbytheireducationdepartment.
ERIC
www.eric.org.uk
ERIC(EducationandResourcesfor
ImprovingChildhoodContinence)
providessupportandinformationto
youngerchildren,parentsandhealth
professionalsonbedwetting(nocturnal
enuresis),day-timewetting,constipation
andsoiling,andincontinenceinchildren
withspecialneeds.Resourcesfor
schoolsareavailable.
Bog Standard Campaign
www.bog-standard.org
TheBogStandardCampaignisan
ERICinitiativerunincoalitionwithother
organisations.Itaimstoraisethestandard
ofschooltoiletsforpupilsandforpupils
togotothetoiletswhentheyneedto.
Resourcesforschoolsareavailable.
Water is Cool in School
www.wateriscoolinschool.org.uk
TheWaterisCoolinSchoolcampaign,
aimstoimprovethequalityofprovision
andaccesstofreshdrinkingwaterfor
childreninUKprimaryandpost-primary
schools.Resourcesforschoolsare
availableonthiswebsite.
Water for Health Alliance
www.waterforhealth.org.uk
WaterforHealthisawaterindustry
initiativetoguideandinformhealth
professionalsandhealthauthorities,to
stimulateinterestandresearch,andto
helpmovewaterupthepublichealth
agenda.
Water UK
www.water.org.uk
WaterUKistheindustryassociationthat
representsallUKwaterandwastewater
servicesuppliersatnationaland
Europeanlevel.Itseekstodevelop
understandinginareasthatinvolvethe
industry,itscustomersandstakeholders.
ThisresourcewasoriginallydevelopedandproducedbytheHealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIrelandaspartoftheSchoolfood:topmarksprogramme.ItwasjointlyfundedbytheDepartmentofEducationandtheDepartmentofHeath,SocialServicesandPublicSafety.