Water
Safety
The first step in NDWA's advocacy
is to ensure that the water children drink is safe. While 95 percent
of public water systems provide safe water; our job is to work with child-serving institutions to confirm the safety of their water purity when
it reaches the tap. One way to make that happen is through our advocacy efforts to mandate water-quality testing at the tap in schools and childcare.
Water
Access
Effective access to appealing sources of no-charge drinking water for children can be a challenge.
Too few schools and childcare sites have made this a priority, resulting
in broken, limited and often unappealing fountains. NDWA
is working to help child-serving institutions around the nation improve access to inviting sources
of fresh, safe drinking water.
Increasing Water Consumption
NDWA is working to make zero-calorie water First for Thirst. Even when water is freely accessible,
too many children choose sugar-sweetened beverages. Sugary drinks are the top source of added sugars for all children and the single largest source of calories for teens ages
14 - 18. Pairing drinking water education and promotion with easy access builds consumption.