Our survey of approximately 3,500 students and teachers revealed:
- Only one per cent drank the recommended eight glasses of water per day.
- One in four students claimed never to drink water at school.
- 77 per cent wanted more water fountains to be available.
- 69 per cent thought refillable bottles should be available to buy at school.
In response to our findings, we worked with secondary schools to research, develop and trial a package of measures to give secondary schools simple and practical solutions to provide students with drinking water.
Our three-month trial involved installation of water coolers and the sale of refillable bottles. The follow up survey showed that:
- 83 per cent of students now find it easier to get a drink of water for free.
- 39 per cent of students claim to drink more water – 3.5 extra glasses per day.
- Students who drink more water claim to be less thirsty and concentrate better in class, perform better at sport/PE and feel healthier than before.
- Nearly 70 per cent of students claim to use a refillable water bottle at some stage during the week.