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There are 1,537 schools across Sydney Water’s area of operation, which covers Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains. Each day primary and secondary schools in this region use about 21 million litres of water.

Sydney Water’s Early Leak Detection and Every Drop Counts in Schools programs have shown that many schools can be losing thousands of litres a day in concealed leaks.

Eight of the 20 schools involved in Sydney Water’s Early Leak Detection in Schools program discovered leaks of more than 10 kilolitres a day. Find out how Sydney Water helped school’s save water through this program (PDF - 151KB) .

Most leaks occurred as a result of leaking toilets and taps, taps not turned off properly and broken underground pipes.

Sydney Water also runs the Every Drop Counts in Schools Program, which helps schools save water, develop water responsible citizenship through the school curriculum and fulfil some requirements of the NSW Environmental Education Policy for Schools.

How to save water in your school

Here are some quick tips on how to save water in your school:

• Install at least 3-star WELS rated flow restrictors in taps to cut water use and make taps easier for young students to turn off – preventing overnight water waste.
• Replace single flush toilets with efficient dual flush models. They use half as much water as old models. If you can’t replace toilets immediately, reduce flush volumes by adjusting the float valve or using a water displacement device.
• Metering and monitoring is essential to discover hidden leaks. School staff and students can visually inspect taps and toilets to detect obvious leaks. Permanent monitoring systems on a school’s main meter can be installed for about $1,600 - $2,000 and will cost about $300 - $400 to operate every year.
• Schools can reduce the amount of irrigation water needed to maintain high quality playing fields by checking for leaks in irrigation systems, and improving the quality of topsoil. Rain sensors can be installed on irrigation systems so they stop watering during rain.
• Also consider integrating your water saving strategies and outcomes into the School Management Plan and reporting on progress in your Annual Report.

For tips on how you and your students can save water at school please see the following information sheets:

• Public amenities (PDF - 288KB)
• Swimming pools (PDF - 267KB)
• Outdoor areas (PDF - 246KB)

Sydney Water has also developed a step-by-step guide on doing a water audit in your school. You can read the guide online (PDF - 1410KB) .

For more information on what else Sydney Water is doing with schools please see our school section. You can also contact us on the Education Hotline 1800 724 650 or education@sydneywater.com.au.

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Use our contact form for membership enquiries and questions about the Program.