Saving Water at St. Finbar’s Primary School

Congratulations to St. Finbar’s Primary School in Brighton East, first prize winners of our Water Challenge scoring a 1 year sponsorship to the ‘I Sea, I Care’ program. St Finbar’s Primary School is a ResourceSmart School, and here they share with us how participating in the Water Challenge has raised awareness in their school, and their next water saving goals.

1. How did participating in the water campaign positively impact your school?

While conducting the water audit, the Grade 6 Sustainability Leaders were asked a lot of questions as to what they were doing. This raised awareness around water usage at the school and also made the students aware if there was a leaky tap to report it to a teacher or the office staff.

2. How much of your water reduction success is due to student involvement?

Students are always proactive in reporting leaky taps and toilets to the staff. They also encourage each other to reduce the amount of water when washing hands in various school locations.

3. What is your next water reduction goal?

Our next water reduction goal is to have buckets placed under the drink taps in the warmer months to catch the excess water that can then be used on the school gardens.

4. What is your advice for other schools struggling with high water use?

Always have your principal and school leadership supporting your water and sustainable initiatives. Include the school community in education around your water usage and report to the community audits that you have conducted. Encourage the students to be aware of when taps or toilets leak to report it to the school office and have this relayed to the school maintenance team as soon as possible.