Water Conservation
OVERVIEW
Australia is the second driest populated continent in the world. The driest being Antartica, the only difference is that it does not have to support the same population number as we do. Therefore we are the biggest consumers of water per person than any other populated continent.
On average we consume about 100 000 litres of water per person per year. This is increased if you factor in the amount of water that is needed to grow and produce the foods we consume, working out to be about one million litres (240 Giga litres!) a year. An amount that can fill Sydney Harbour 48 times over! This extra water is called Embodied water.
Embodied Water is the water that is unseen. It works behind the scenes to produce the foods and materials we use in everyday life. For example the water that is used to water the wheat that is grown to produce the flour for bread is embodied water.
Further examples include;
You can find out how much embodied water you use by clicking on the following link;
Water Footprint Calculator
PURPOSE
School Benefits
· Water costs money. Money saved will be able to go back into the school to fund further improvements and teaching opportunities for all
· The school will gain recognition as being a water saver and conservationist, raising the school profile
· Enable the school to apply for the National Green Ticket
· Encourage all to become involved and gain higher parent, family and community participation
· Encourage government funding by displaying to relative departments our strategies
· Set an example to other schools and could be viewed as a teaching or display school
Benefits to Teaching Staff
· Feel positive about your work
· Teaching in a school that actively conserves the environment for the future
· Gain participation from wider community as well as the families and parents
· Government funding to support and help teach the initiative
· Teaching opportunities in the way of Professional Development courses
· Set an example for the next generation as well as schools and other businesses
Environmental Benefits
· Water is a scarce resource, especially in our dry climate
· Our climate is dry so we need to conserve as much as possible to get us through the dry summer
· The cost of maintaining infrastructure used to clean, sanitise, pump and deliver water to households and businesses is expensive. Saving water will of course decrease government spending, or money saved could be used to fund alternative methods
· The production of dams not only costs money but comes at the cost of habitat of animal species, deforestation, greenhouse gases and degraded ecological health
· Save energy use in having to treat and pump excess water
· Water is for every living organism, not just humans. Saving water increases the survival rates of all living organisms.
COSTS
Set-up Costs
· Costs of the water saving appliances such as sensor taps and new water saving toilet system
· Drip irrigation
· Water tank installation
· Mulch
· Grey water and bore water system installation
Ongoing Costs
· Yearly mulch renewal
· Ongoing maintenance of water saving appliances (checking toilets, sensor taps, bore water and grey water systems as well as cleaning and maintaining water tanks)
· Ongoing applications of soil conditioners and wetting agents
· Maintenance of irrigation systems
· Subscriptions fees
IMPLEMENTATION
Orion Primary is aiming to reduce and conserve its water usage. The following will be implemented in three stages, with stage one being completed by start of term one 2013. Funding from State Government agencies will be accessed as well as in school fundraising, the main one being the Water Corporation.
Stage One
Excursion to the water wise display villages. This will empower the teaching staff as well as the children to gain a better understanding of water conservation as well as initiatives that can be implemented at school and home.
Planning of the schools garden will take place by each year group being allocated a garden in which they ultimately design, work in and care for.
After planning and designing, irrigation, soil conditioners and water saving granules will be applied. Community members, families and friends are invited to participate.
Planting day will encourage all students or families to bring in a water wise Australian Native plant to plant into their garden. This will encourage children to take part and want to look after their garden and plant while at school. Mulching will take place after the planting.
Stage Two
This will involve a visit to the Water Corporation as well as a representative from the Water Corporation coming to the school to develop a water saving plan in conjunction with staff and students. This program will run for the entire year to evaluate the progress made throughout the year.
Water saving appliances will replace existing ones. These include sensor taps and water saving toilet systems.
Stage Three
Grey water, bore water and water tank installations will occur. This will involve minor ground renovations as well as some building work.
EVALUATION
Evaluation will be in conjunction with the Water Corporation Water Conservation Plan. An ongoing partnership will include regular email updates on the water usage before and during the implementation plans. Use of charts and a targeted water saving objective will be implemented with the children.
Water saving competitions will be used with the Water Corporation's involvement to encourage all families to participate as well as in school competitions amongst year groups and classes. School newsletters will be distributed monthly with each class writing a piece about their take on the project and what they are covering within their class.
Australia is the second driest populated continent in the world. The driest being Antartica, the only difference is that it does not have to support the same population number as we do. Therefore we are the biggest consumers of water per person than any other populated continent.
On average we consume about 100 000 litres of water per person per year. This is increased if you factor in the amount of water that is needed to grow and produce the foods we consume, working out to be about one million litres (240 Giga litres!) a year. An amount that can fill Sydney Harbour 48 times over! This extra water is called Embodied water.
Embodied Water is the water that is unseen. It works behind the scenes to produce the foods and materials we use in everyday life. For example the water that is used to water the wheat that is grown to produce the flour for bread is embodied water.
Further examples include;
- 140L of fresh water to produce 1 cup of coffee
- 1,000L of fresh water to produce 1L of milk
- 1,350L of fresh water to produce 1kg of wheat
- 3,000L of fresh water to produce 1kg of rice, and
- 16,000L of fresh water to produce 1kg of beef
You can find out how much embodied water you use by clicking on the following link;
Water Footprint Calculator
PURPOSE
School Benefits
· Water costs money. Money saved will be able to go back into the school to fund further improvements and teaching opportunities for all
· The school will gain recognition as being a water saver and conservationist, raising the school profile
· Enable the school to apply for the National Green Ticket
· Encourage all to become involved and gain higher parent, family and community participation
· Encourage government funding by displaying to relative departments our strategies
· Set an example to other schools and could be viewed as a teaching or display school
Benefits to Teaching Staff
· Feel positive about your work
· Teaching in a school that actively conserves the environment for the future
· Gain participation from wider community as well as the families and parents
· Government funding to support and help teach the initiative
· Teaching opportunities in the way of Professional Development courses
· Set an example for the next generation as well as schools and other businesses
Environmental Benefits
· Water is a scarce resource, especially in our dry climate
· Our climate is dry so we need to conserve as much as possible to get us through the dry summer
· The cost of maintaining infrastructure used to clean, sanitise, pump and deliver water to households and businesses is expensive. Saving water will of course decrease government spending, or money saved could be used to fund alternative methods
· The production of dams not only costs money but comes at the cost of habitat of animal species, deforestation, greenhouse gases and degraded ecological health
· Save energy use in having to treat and pump excess water
· Water is for every living organism, not just humans. Saving water increases the survival rates of all living organisms.
COSTS
Set-up Costs
· Costs of the water saving appliances such as sensor taps and new water saving toilet system
· Drip irrigation
· Water tank installation
· Mulch
· Grey water and bore water system installation
Ongoing Costs
· Yearly mulch renewal
· Ongoing maintenance of water saving appliances (checking toilets, sensor taps, bore water and grey water systems as well as cleaning and maintaining water tanks)
· Ongoing applications of soil conditioners and wetting agents
· Maintenance of irrigation systems
· Subscriptions fees
IMPLEMENTATION
Orion Primary is aiming to reduce and conserve its water usage. The following will be implemented in three stages, with stage one being completed by start of term one 2013. Funding from State Government agencies will be accessed as well as in school fundraising, the main one being the Water Corporation.
Stage One
Excursion to the water wise display villages. This will empower the teaching staff as well as the children to gain a better understanding of water conservation as well as initiatives that can be implemented at school and home.
Planning of the schools garden will take place by each year group being allocated a garden in which they ultimately design, work in and care for.
After planning and designing, irrigation, soil conditioners and water saving granules will be applied. Community members, families and friends are invited to participate.
Planting day will encourage all students or families to bring in a water wise Australian Native plant to plant into their garden. This will encourage children to take part and want to look after their garden and plant while at school. Mulching will take place after the planting.
Stage Two
This will involve a visit to the Water Corporation as well as a representative from the Water Corporation coming to the school to develop a water saving plan in conjunction with staff and students. This program will run for the entire year to evaluate the progress made throughout the year.
Water saving appliances will replace existing ones. These include sensor taps and water saving toilet systems.
Stage Three
Grey water, bore water and water tank installations will occur. This will involve minor ground renovations as well as some building work.
EVALUATION
Evaluation will be in conjunction with the Water Corporation Water Conservation Plan. An ongoing partnership will include regular email updates on the water usage before and during the implementation plans. Use of charts and a targeted water saving objective will be implemented with the children.
Water saving competitions will be used with the Water Corporation's involvement to encourage all families to participate as well as in school competitions amongst year groups and classes. School newsletters will be distributed monthly with each class writing a piece about their take on the project and what they are covering within their class.
RESOURCES
Caring for Our Country (n.d.). Natural Resource Management. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www.nrm.gov.au/about/nrm/index.html
Green Building Council Australia. (n.d.). Greening Your School. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www.gbca.org.au/resources/greening-your-school/
Watering Can Image. Retrieved October 2012, from www.ecoblog.co.za
Water Corporation. (Water Corporation Education. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www.watercorpeducation.com.au/?uid=4576-3851-2201-1717
Water Footprint Network [WFN]. (n.d.). Water Footprint Calculator. Retrived October 2012, from http://www.waterfootprint.org
Caring for Our Country (n.d.). Natural Resource Management. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www.nrm.gov.au/about/nrm/index.html
Green Building Council Australia. (n.d.). Greening Your School. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www.gbca.org.au/resources/greening-your-school/
Watering Can Image. Retrieved October 2012, from www.ecoblog.co.za
Water Corporation. (Water Corporation Education. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www.watercorpeducation.com.au/?uid=4576-3851-2201-1717
Water Footprint Network [WFN]. (n.d.). Water Footprint Calculator. Retrived October 2012, from http://www.waterfootprint.org