South East Water recently welcomed Beaconsfield Primary School as the 300th school in its service region to join to the Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP).
The water utility visited Beaconsfield Primary School to speak with students about the program and asked the school’s sustainability club students about why saving water is important and how we can save water in the home and at school.
“I read that if you turn off the tap while using your toothbrush, you can save 23 litres of water a day,” student Luke Morris said.
“We can help by not having long showers – keeping it to two or three minutes long,” added student Isabella Quirk.
SWEP provides data loggers to Victorian schools to track their water usage which means they can detect leaks, save water and teach students about the importance of water efficiency.
Participating schools also receive access to a tailored curriculum program, which incorporates the school’s water data in mathematics and science.
Beaconsfield Primary School has already been able to detect some leaks since receiving the data logger and intend to integrate SWEP into its STEM program.
In 2017–18, South East Water sponsored 40 SWEP school memberships and another seven schools over August/September.
Almost half the schools in Melbourne’s south-east are now participating in the program.
Since the start of SWEP, South East Water’s schools have saved more than 976 megalitres of water, worth an estimated $3.93 million.
Schools interested in joining the SWEP program can visit myswep.com.au or contact South East Water’s Education Team on 9552 3231.
