Drinking Water Availability in Public Schools: An Assessment of Four New Jersey School Districts

Cong Wang, Francesco Acciai, Sarah Martinelli () and Punam Ohri-Vachaspati
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Cong Wang: College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Francesco Acciai: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 North 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Sarah Martinelli: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 North 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Punam Ohri-Vachaspati: College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 North 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Background: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act requires access to free drinking water in public school cafeterias during meal times. Previous studies suggest that increasing access to water in schools can increase its consumption among students, potentially reducing their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. The current study provides a descriptive assessment of water availability, delivery methods, and quality in 96 public schools across four New Jersey school districts. Methods: As part of the New Jersey Child Health Study, we administered an online and paper survey to school nurses at 96 schools to evaluate the availability, delivery, and quality of water in the school cafeteria during lunchtime. Univariate and bivariate statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: In school year 2019–20, 83 (86.5%) schools reported providing free drinking water in the cafeteria during lunch. The most common source of water was water fountains, available in 64 schools (66.7%). Issues related to water quality, specifically cleanliness, temperature, pressure, and taste, were present in 20–30% of schools. Conclusions: While most schools surveyed provide access to clean, free drinking water, students in some schools still lack free access to drinking water during school meals, which may affect overall water consumption among students.

Keywords: school drinking water availability; Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and water availability; water availability in schools (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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