More than half of school-age children are under-hydrated, and too many routinely drink sugary beverages, making it harder for their minds and bodies to work well. Drinking water in place of sugary drinks is an important public health strategy to help all children grow up at a healthy weight and to promote good oral health. By law, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must provide potable water to students at no charge during mealtimes where meals are served. AQWA is a validated photo-evidence tool that systematically documents water access and assesses elements of water access that we know increase water consumption. It was developed for use in schools but may be easily adapted for use in other public spaces, such as parks. AQWA can be used by citizen scientists: students, staff or community members. This is a feasible and cost-effective way to collect accurate, usable data to measure effective access to water.