Go Greener

Go Greener

Water – it’s life in every drop.

While we have had an incredible amount of rain in Sydney this year, water is an important resource that needs to be used wisely. We often do not appreciate the extent of our reliance on water. How many times do you touch a tap a day? Do you know where your water comes from? Do you know how much water you use when you brush your teeth or have a shower? These are some of the questions which can be answered on the Water Conservancy website.

Thursday 20 October is Water Night where you are encouraged to not use your taps or running water from 5 – 10pm. It is a way of building mindfulness around water, action on climate change and developing a greater literacy about water awareness. You are encouraged to fill buckets, bottles, kettles etc before the event to use during these five hours. If you are interested in being part of this your can register and here. It is also an opportunity to have a discussion with your family about how you could improve your water consumption in the home and the number of times you touch a tap or turn on a device that is associated with water.

Their website gives the following facts about how much water we use with appliances and everyday tasks:

  • Flushing the toilet uses 4.5 litres
  • Brushing your teeth uses 7.5 litres
  • A full load in the dishwasher uses 20 litres
  • A 10 minute shower uses 90 litres
  • A full load of laundry uses somewhere between 50 – 150 litres
  • A dripping tap uses 12,000 litres per year
  • A leaking toilet uses 96,000 litres

Some things you could do at home to reduce your water use include:

  • Having a timer in the shower set to 4 minutes
  • Only use the dishwasher or washing machine when it is full
  • Fix leaking taps as soon as they appear
  • Turn off the tap when washing your hands or brushing your teeth

At SCEGGS we use approximately 7.5 million litres of  water each year. The Joan Freeman Science and technology centre harvests rainwater into a 48,000 litre tank located in the carpark. This water is treated and UV filtered before being used for flushing toilets and watering the gardens. As a way of reducing our water use, all the student bathrooms are fitted with friction taps which run for about 20 seconds. The toilet rings/flush combs are replaced yearly and a plumber checks for leaks every 10 weeks in an effort to save water. These measures are all part of our environmental goal to use water efficiently at school.

Sue Zipfinger
Sustainability Coordinator