Water Kit - Hunter Water

2.3 being waterwise at school
Water use in schools
Hunter Water supplies about 730
megalitres of water a year to education
facilities like schools, colleges and
The University of Newcastle. This
amounts to 1% of the Hunter’s
reticulated water supply. Like other
sectors, schools have a responsibility
to manage their water use in a
sustainable way.
A school water audit and action plan
provides a framework to implement
water wise ideas. Conserving water at
school can offer great savings to the
environment and the school’s budget,
as well as educate students to be
waterwise. Water is used in many ways
in schools, and there are ways to save
water in each of these areas.
Managing water use in schools
Since 2004 all NSW Government
schools have been required to develop
a School Environmental Management
Plan (SEMP) as described in the NSW
Environmental Education Policy for
Schools (2001). One of the best ways
to progress this is through a school
environment committee that involves
students, teachers, grounds staff
and parents, with support from local
organisations like councils and
Hunter Water.
Water use and management is a
focus of the new policy. Completing
a desktop review of water costs and
an audit of water use provides a
snapshot of water usage in the school.
The results can be used to develop
strategies for improved water use and
management that can be incorporated
into the SEMP. Many schools have
carried out water audits and teachers
and studens have put forward
recommendations to encourage the
wise use of water in the school.
water use at school
Watering
ovals, lawns,
shrubs, gardens
Cleaning
paths, windows,
playgrounds
Toilets
flushing toilets
and urinals
Taps
for drinking, washing
and cleaning up
Science labs
for experiments and
cleaning up
Art and design
to mix paint and
clean up
Home economics
for cooking and cleaning
Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010
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