Lalor Park Public School- Site Analysis

School Location: Western Sydney

No of water users: 198 students

38 teachers and staff

Rainfall: 16mm in September 2009,

average- 860mm/year

Current Water restrictions: Level 3.

Hand held hoses allowed to be used on mornings and evenings.

Last school water bill: 2.37 KLs a day

Current school water bill: 1.77 KLs a day

Sources of Water: Warragamba Dam

Major water uses: toilets, kitchen, dishwashers, washing machines, gardening (school and home)

Lalor Park Public School 3/4R

Saving water in our school and at our homes.

The Site of Issue 1.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Issue 1: Identify the water saving infrastructure already in place at the school.

Issue 2: Reduce water consumption at home.

Solution 1: Raising awareness of the water saving infrastructure through messages and making posters.

Solution 2: Conducting a water use survey at home and designing models of water saving devices.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

The Background: Finding out all about Water.

We studied the water cycle and researched facts about water.

Lalor Park Public School 3/4R

Issue 1: Identifying water saving infrastructure in our school.

Checking out the push button taps in the girls toilets.

How we save: A push button tap uses approx 4 litres per minute where as a ordinary tap uses 12 litres per minute!

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Issue 1: Identifying water saving infrastructure in our school. The rainwater tank collects runoff from A block and is used to water gardens in the Garden Greenies program. Students collect water from the tank in water bottles.

How we save: Mulch is used on gardens to reduce water usage for plants and trees. No hoses are used at school.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Solution 1:Raising awareness of the water saving infrastructure through messages.

Students made signs to put on the water tank and on taps to remind students of the value of water.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Pictures of messages on tank and taps to come.Sorry, left them at school on school camera and I’m on holidays.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Solution 2: Conducting a water use survey at home and designing models of water saving devices.

Firstly, students made a list of the activities their family uses water for.

Our families use water for these activities:Flushing toilets

Showers

Swimming in the pool/spa

Washing machine

Cooking/kitchen

Cleaning teeth

Car washing

Gardening

Drinking

Washing pets

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

5 minutes

100 litres

4 minutes

80 litres

3 minutes

60 litres

3 minutes

60 litres

Solution 2: Conducting a water use survey at home and designing models of water saving devices.

Then we used the Sydney Water shower timer to measure how long our showers were over the school week. We tried to decrease out shower time.

Time and water usage in the shower

* Note: The table is based on the class average using a maximum use of 20 litres per minute. Not all students participated in this activity.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Solution 2: Conducting a water use survey at home and designing models of water saving devices.

Next we conducted a survey on water use at home over a 2 day period.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

Solution 2: Conducting a water use survey at home and designing models of water saving devices. Finally we designed and made water saving devices to help save water at home.

This student made a shower that was based on a timer and water cut out after 3 minutes.

Lalor Park Public School3/4R

To complete our solutions, we thought of water saving messages to remind everyone of the value of water!