The shoes are shining, the diaries are filling up with sports matches, and the homework pile is set to increase! Now that schools have opened, and the (endless) summer holidays are over, let’s consider ways you can save water at school:
For teachers, principals and school administrators, the concept of water conservation ranks highly in both school curriculum and through school administration. Not only do water-saving activities help to keep municipal utility bills in check, but they’re also a teaching experience, helping every pupil learn important water-saving techniques that they can implement at home, too.
Water Tanks
During 2017, we helped Atholl Heights Primary School create a unique and purposeful water conservation programme. Installing three of our custom-built SBS Tanks, Atholl Heights Primary School has focused its efforts on rainwater harvesting. By implementing a rainwater harvesting system that feeds into the three, strategically located, water tanks on the school premises, Atholl Heights Primary School is well on its way to conserving and ensuring responsible usage of our world’s most precious resource.
Water Conservation in the Classroom
Of course, water is a fundamental part of life, and of education too. It’s not just for refreshment or cleaning, though, as having a water source in the classroom is essential for projects, experiments and more. Conduct a regular audit of all taps and sinks in your classrooms, and make sure you get any dripping taps attended to as quickly as possible. A single dripping tap can waste up to 20,000 litres of water in a year – getting it fixed is key to conserving water.
Saving Water in the Bathroom
Of course, using water is an important part of staying clean, and the all-important daily ablutions. Wherever possible, look towards installing water-saving devices in showers, toilets, and other facilities within the school.
School Projects Can Help
Hosting competitions and running incentive programmes can be a fun way to encourage school pupils to take water conservation seriously. A poster competition can be held to create attractive notices that remind pupils to use water wisely (the winner gets their prized artwork used throughout the school, and an extra prize too!), and other fun activities can easily be created around the theme of water.
How Schools Do it in South Africa
We’re always excited to see more and more schools take water-saving seriously, so it was fun to find out about Dropula, a special water monitoring device that’s been installed in a few Western Cape schools. Last year, MySchool profiled the water-saving programmes at local schools in Durban and surrounding areas too!
Rainwater harvesting systems, water monitoring devices, water tanks, and an application of good old common sense, can go a long way towards helping your school to save water. If your school is keen to implement a rainwater harvesting system, install a water tank, or just looking for some advice on how to use water a little more wisely in 2018, get in touch with our team!
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