More water please!

BRITA Vivreau discusses how water can improve pupils' well-being

Posted by Alice Savage | May 26, 2017 | Catering & hospitality

• #brita-vivreau
• #water
• #hydration
• #wellbeing
• #vitap

The term ‘well-being’ has fast become a common buzzword and one that schools in the UK are being encouraged to take seriously. From the government’s crackdown on sugary drinks to Corbyn’s campaign for free school meals, student well-being is top of the agenda. 

Dehydration among students is a common issue which can result in headaches, fatigue, dizziness and many other unpleasant symptoms, all of which can have an impact on health as well as studying. On the flipside, well-hydrated students will have greater cognitive function, better visual attention, improved accuracy in motor skills such as handwriting and more concentration which helps them to perform better. Hydration leads to improved brain function, which in turn leads to the kinds of grades which pupils and schools can be proud of.

Research has shown that losing just 2% of water from your body (on average consisting of 60% water) can reduce cognitive (mental) performance. Not all students will be aware of the recommended levels of water intake per day. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, the amount of fluid a child needs depends on many factors including their age, their gender, the weather and how much physical activity they do, but generally they should aim to drink about six to eight glasses of fluid per day (on top of the water provided by food in their diet). Younger children need relatively smaller drinks (e.g. 120–150 ml serving) and older children need larger drinks (e.g. 250–300 ml serving).

Therefore, it is in every education establishment’s best interest to ensure that students are well hydrated. That is where BRITA Vivreau, a global leader and innovator in the development and manufacture of purified drinking water systems comes in. 

“Water accounts for 85% of the brain, essentially making water brain food! Hydration can be easily overlooked by students. However, having a hydrated and healthy class can improve grades as well as general health. Offering sparkling water as well as still can help encourage those that might need additional motivation to drink more water,” said Stephen Charles, Managing Director at BRITA Vivreau. 

BRITA Vivreau specialises in the highest-quality drinking water products, with the ViTap being one of the company’s key products. The ViTap dispenses mains-fed purified chilled still and sparkling water, with an additional option for instant boiling hot water, from one single tap.  With a built-in safety feature to prevent accidental use of hot water, a touch sensor control and zero splash – this system really is a ‘must-have’ in the independent school environment. 

Incorporating high-performance ice bank refrigeration, the ViTap is capable of delivering high quantities of chilled water. The high-spec boiler also heats water to 97 degrees, the perfect temperature for tea! The ViTap is also hygienic, and it incorporates a power-saving option to reduce electricity consumption.

The ViTap systems could be placed around the school campus for students to refill bottles throughout the day. It would be recommended to install ViTaps with chilled still and sparkling water for students to self-serve – sparkling water is a brilliant way to convert students more accustomed to sugary fizzy drinks. 

The full ViTap options including instant boiling hot water could be made available in the staff room for fast tea and coffee. This can help reduce unnecessary water waste and remove the queue for the kettle!

By investing in the ViTap systems and purifying water on site, a school’s environmental credentials will improve as it eliminates the requirement for bottled water and therefore reduces the amount of plastic waste that the campus produces. 

W: vivreau.co.uk