Santee Schools Comply with Free, Fresh Water Law

will have no trouble complying with a new California state law that requires all public schools to provide free, fresh drinking water to students during meal times, according to local school officials.

Catherine Martin, a spokeswoman for the , said the new law “should have a very minimal effect on GUHSD.”

“We will ensure that working drinking fountains are in the vicinity of the food service areas so that drinking water is available at meal times,” Martin said. “Any installations necessary will be incorporated into our existing building modernization program.”

Currently, students have "reasonable access" to drinking fountains throughout the district’s campuses. Martin said there is one drinking fountain for every one to two buildings.

The current effort, she said, is to make sure fountains are within reasonable proximity to the food services areas.

Cathy Abel, the director of Child Nutrition Services at Santee School District, also said the law should not have much of an impact on the district.

“It won’t affect Santee that much because we’re already compliant,” Abel said. “We already offer water to students in the way that it’s being requested that we do.”

Abel said the district’s campuses have fountains near the bathrooms, lunch areas and playgrounds.

Although the law won’t really affect both districts, Abel said she is pleased the state is requiring schools to provide free, fresh drinking .

“Students need access to a drink of when they’re thirsty,” she said.

The state passed the law last year in an effort to fight childhood obesity. The law, which went into effect on July 1, allows school districts to opt out if they adopt a resolution stating they cannot afford to comply.

According to a 2009 survey by California Project LEAN, more than half of the districts that responded said some of their cafeterias did not provide free water. The survey also found that some students don't drink water even in schools where safe drinking water is available because the water isn't cold, schools don't have enough water fountains and the fountains are poorly maintained.

“I’ve been to some very old schools—not in Santee—in inner-city areas where drinking fountains don’t even work,” Abel said. “They’re not cared for; they’re not kept up. That’s my feeling about this—the state is encouraging districts to get those in good shape all across the state, so that kids have access to drinking fountains.”

Martin agreed that schools should have fountains available, but she said it is too soon to know if the new law will effectively discourage students from choosing sugary drinks.

“Our understanding is that the intent of the law is to make it easier to access/drink water thereby assisting in the effort to reduce obesity,” Martin said. “Only time will tell if this does reduce students’ consumption of sugary drinks.”