Local schools, including one in Lilydale, have helped save more than two billion litres of water across Yarra Valley Water’s service area, and more than $8.7 million since 2012.
These savings come from monitoring their water use and acting on leaks and issues as soon as they occur.
Yarra Valley Water is encouraging more schools to join the Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP), which enables schools to continuously track their water usage using data logger technology.
Schools across the state have saved more than 10 billion litres of water in total – and $33.6 million through their involvement in the program.
Lilydale’s Victoria Road Primary School Sustainability Coordinator Nicole Nevins urged other schools to consider signing up to the program.
“For us, joining SWEP has been a real game-changer,” she said.
“SWEP has not only empowered our students to become champions of water conservation but has also resulted in substantial savings and increased sustainability within our school.”
The school has saved over 11.4 million litres of water and nearly $45,000 in total so far.
“We recently had a pretty large leak due to an old pipe and we wouldn’t have noticed it because we’re on a hill,” Ms Nevins said.
“At one point we were losing around 825 litres of water per hour. Thanks to an alert from SWEP notifying us about the leak – it was picked up early and we were able to get it fixed quickly.”
Since its launch in 2012, SWEP has successfully registered over 1,380 schools in Victoria, which is more than half of all schools.
Yarra Valley Water General Manager of People, Performance, and Culture Amy Singe said saving water is an important lesson to learn.
“We’re very proud to be part of the School Water Efficiency Program, helping Victorian schools make a difference,” she said.
“But it’s not just at school where we can make a difference.
“There are simple things you can do to help save water when you’re at home, like turning off the tap while you are brushing your teeth or taking a shorter shower.”
The SWEP program not only teaches kids about sustainability, it also empowers them to actively conserve water in their daily lives.
By instilling these values early on, the program aims to cultivate lifelong habits of water efficiency.
“We know by teaching kids about water conservation now, they can build good habits that will last a lifetime,” Ms Singe said.
The SWEP program also includes curriculum resources to combine maths, science, and environmental studies for students through real-world examples.
The initiative aligns with the Victorian Government’s Target 150 campaign, which encourages Melburnians to reduce their average daily individual water usage from 159 to 150 litres a day.
Schools interested in joining the Schools Water Efficiency Program can register online at www.myswep.com.au or email swep@myswep.com.au.
