The Victorian Government is helping Victorian schools save billions of litres of water each year, which in turn helps reduce their water bills and preserve our precious drinking water supply.
Minister for Water Gayle Tierney has announced that the Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP) has saved more than 11 billion litres of drinking water and saved $37.9 million for schools as part of the award-winning initiative.
“This fantastic program not only helps schools identify and fix water leaks and find ways to save water, but it also teaches students the importance of saving water,” Tierney said.
Last year, SWEP schools saved on average $1,800 on their water bills – that’s more money that can be spent on our world-class schools.
Through SWEP, schools can track their water usage using data loggers and an online monitoring dashboard. Staff and students can view their school’s water use in near real-time through the interactive SWEP web portal, allowing them to identify water use trends and opportunities for water conservation.
Every SWEP school is provided with tailored education resources, including classroom lesson plans that incorporate the use of SWEP water data. These educational resources teach students how to conserve water both at school and at home, aligning with the Victorian maths and science curriculum.
“This is a great program that teaches students about water saving and how their actions can have a big impact, saving water for their school and the rest of the community,” Minister for Education Ben Carroll said.
Ballarat High School is Victoria’s top water-saving school, saving 11 million litres of water through the program last year.
Followed by Frankston High School 7-10 Campus, where they saved 8.9 million litres, Mernda Central College saved 8.8 million litres, and Braybrook College and Greensborough Primary School both saved 5.1 million litres.
Over half of all Victorian schools have joined the $10.5 million program, which aims to sign up 100 per cent of government schools by 2030.
The program is a key component of the Water for Victoria plan, which aims to enhance the management of our water resources, including improving water efficiency.
Top twenty schools in the 2024 Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP)
- Ballarat High School – 11,030,281
- Frankston High School (7-10 campus) – 8,938,104
- Mernda Central College – 8,873,198
- Braybrook College – 5,105,775
- Greensborough Primary School – 5,105,775
- Eltham College – 4,586,098
- Lowanna College – 3,928,486
- Rosamond Special School – 3,699,628
- Balwyn High School – 3,596,920
- Kyabram P12 College – 3,293,840
- Catholic College Wodonga – 3,100,453
- St Joseph’s College – Mercy Campus – 2,802,901
- Rowville Secondary College – West Campus – 2,771,773
- Mount Lilydale Mercy College – 2,716,855
- Firbank Grammar – Sandringham House – 2,657,205
- Manor Lakes P-12 College – 2,407,561
- Roslyn Primary School – 2,362,729
- Damascus College Ballarat – 2,298,255
- Mary Mackillop Catholic Regional College – 2,241,328
- Melton West Primary School – 2,195,342
Related Articles:
- Learning flows both ways for future water leaders
- Melbourne to lock in lowest capital city water bills
- Former Minister Lisa Neville becomes Chair of Victorian water utility