Water |

Saving Water

Water is a precious resource. We are experiencing unpredictable weather more often which is leading to increased shortages of water and sometimes too much of it. Climate change is exacerbating the problem. It also take a lot of energy to make our water drinkable. Saving water can also save money!

Find out where your school is losing water by carrying out an audit of where water is used in your school and if there are ways to reduce the amount used.

This article by Thirsty Work gives handy tips on how you can cut down your water use.

Contact your water company and ask if they offer support to cut down on water use. Sometimes the companies offer to check for leaks around the school and fix them.

Action: have your climate leaders look around the school to identify any leaks.

Visit Southern Water for educational resources.

This webpage also has links to book a school visit to the SW Peacehaven waste water treatment works, or arrange a talk for your school.

If your school community has found ways to save water, please tell us and we can share here to help other schools.

The voices of water – A UNESCO film highlighting eight emblematic examples of ancient hydraulic technologies from across the continents, from Morocco to Australia, including Iraq, Peru, and Ghana.

Water storage

If you have a school garden, install water butts to collect rainwater for watering plants. This instils good water habits in young people and is better for plants than tap water.

Household water butts can sometimes be found at the tip or being offered on local recycling or selling pages. Shed guttering can be bought in a pack with all of the attachments needed from a DIY store.

You may find a local business who has ingredients delivered in IBC tanks. They may be happy to donate one to your school. Always check that whatever was stored inside wasn’t hazardous before using. If your water butt is transparent, keep it covered to prevent algae growth. A tarpaulin could be used or ready made IBS covers can be purchased like the one in the photo.

Teach your students how much water different plants need so water isn’t wasted.

Advice from the RHS about managing water in your garden.

Flooding and protecting our waters

We are experiencing increasingly heavy rainfalls which can cause flooding. To prevent this from causing problems in high risk areas we are seeing innovative solutions being put in place.

Sustainable urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) are one solution. These can range from a rainplanter (a box planter which stores rainwater slowing it’s flow to the drains), to larger systems taking up large areas of a park such as the Wild Park rainscape project, designed to protect Brighton’s water supply from pollution. Read more about the Wild Park rainscape project to understand how flooding can pollute our drinking water.

Follow this useful guide to building a rainplanter by Groundworks or simple rainplanters can be bought as a kit and attached to drainpipes around your school.

The Friends of Sutton Downs in Seaford have created beautiful rainplanters which feed into a rain garden at the Downs Leisure Centre. The system also captures and stores 2000 litres of rainwater to use for watering plants in the grounds. Find out more.

Photo: A rainplanter at the Downs Leisure Centre by The Friends of Sutton Downs.

Projects are taking place with schools. The Aquifer project has been creating SuDS with schools in Brighton. This is another project with Carden Primary School in Brighton which improved water quality, prevents flooding, providing space for nature and educational resources for children.

The Aquifer Project is bringing people together to protect our local aquifer.

The Aquifer Project has been working with schools in Brighton to create rainscapes. These rainscapes provide play and educational opportunities while reducing flooding, cleaning water, and increasing biodiversity. Find educational resources on the website.

What is an Aquifer – 4 minute video

Learn how the work of the Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust is protecting our rivers and why it’s important.

Visit the Love our Ouse website to find out how people are connecting to the river and campaigning to protect it with the Rights of the River charter.

Photo: The Aquifer Project: wearetap.org.uk

Using chemicals

Cleaning products, pesticides, and weed killers used in schools end up in our water system and are hazardous to our health and to wildlife.

Ask your site manager what cleaning products they use and can they be changed for more environmentally friendly alternatives if not already.

Is weedkiller used in the school grounds? This is damaging to children’s health and wildlife. Can other methods be used to get rid of plants in the wrong place? Can you hold regular hand weeding sessions with the students?

The Pesticide Action Network UK has produced guidance for schools to eliminate the use of pesticides. The website incudes policy guidance and a leaflet to download to help you raise awareness and work with the school to become pesticide free.

Drinking water

In one local school 200 bottles of water are purchased per day. If the students could all use a reusable bottle, that will prevent 1000 plastic bottles going to landfill and save families money.

If you are looking to install water refill points, our conversations with students show they prefer a bottle refill station rather than a water fountain as they worry about germs. The station also needs to be kept clean for them to want to use it. The water also needs to be cold. Encourage families to invest in insulated water bottles.

Encourage students to use a reusable bottle by making it a part of your uniform policy or give house points.