Parents Told to Sue For School Drinking Water

Late in 2001, parents were being advised by a leading health official to take schools to court for not providing their children with suitable drinking water.

Schools are legally obliged to provide "wholesome" drinking water but Dr Martin Schweiger, a public health consultant to Leeds Health Authority, had complained that some schools had removed drinking fountains, forcing children to buy sugary fizzy drinks or drink water from lavatory taps. As a result, he claims, children are being exposed to the risk of kidney diseases and other illnesses.

It is an accepted fact in many countries, including New Zealand and Australia, that continuous rehydration increases concentration, and consequently, children are encouraged to bring bottles of mineral water into class.
A study is now under way to look at the scale of the problem after Dr Trevor Brocklehurst, a paediatrician at St. James's University Hospital in Leeds, contacted the health authority about his concerns. He said that he had become aware of the issue because he treated a higher than average amount of girls with urinary tract infections. Availability of drinking water at all times is crucial to such children, he said, because if those suffering from such infections do not have enough water to drink, the problem could get worse.

Dr Schweiger said that situation was "totally unacceptable". He advised parents to complain to head-teachers and governors but said they could also take legal action against local authorities under a rarely used Education Act. He said: "Children need to drink during the day to stay healthy but a toilet [where most drinking fountains are situated] is not appropriate place for drinking water so they are not drinking enough. Parents should seek a judicial review or take schools to court for failure to take due care of their child, though I would hope things could be sorted out before it reaches that stage."

Mary Cooper, a dietician working on the study, said: "Parents are having to meet their children at the school gates with a drink". The children are doing games and then are not being able to re-hydrate afterwards.

The UK based children's medical charity the Enuresis Resource and Information Centre launched a "Water is cool in school" campaign which was supported by an array of medical practitioners and other professionals. Although several schools responded positively the UK Government has not yet addressed drinking water requirements in its National Standard for Healthy Schools initiative.

Labour MP, Dr Ian Gibson, said "This is a serious problem. There is plenty of focus on nutrition but not on fluids. Education and health officials need to review the provision of drinking water in UK schools urgently. It seems it is down to the parents to make it clear that water facilities are important and schools need to take this seriously".
At Kings Park School in Bournemouth pupils were offered water from a bottled water cooler and a filtered, point of use, cooler. Headmaster Stephen Orman explained "we have two coolers available to children; one mains filtered - preferred over the other more expensive, bottled version. Due to running costs, access to mains tap water would be the preferred option for most schools I'm sure".

Kelly Reynolds MSPH, PhD has been studying how children are at increased risk of waterborne contamination. In Water Conditioning and Purification, Feb 2002, she reported that families who were provided with tap water bottled at the treatment plant were 14% more likely to become ill than those who drank purified bottled water.Those who drank tap water from the same plant delivered through the distribution system were 19% more likely to contract illness than those who drank purified bottled water.

The fresh water filter Company predict that, due to the high running costs of bottled water dispensers and the preference expressed at Kings Park School, the demand for point of use coolers and other types of filtration will be high this summer! Call us a free, no obligation site survey for your school today on 020 8597 3223 or send an email via the web site www.freshwaterfilter.com.