Workshops to grow water-wise kids in Wilcannia

About 100 primary and high school students and their teachers in Wilcannia will take part in workshops to learn why being water-wise has never been more important, and what they can do to help cut water waste.

It's part of a NSW Government water efficiency education pilot program being delivered in schools across the state, teaching young minds the importance of water savings as early as possible.

Students and teachers from Wilcannia Central School and St Therese's Community Primary School will learn more about the value of water and how a few simple actions at home and school can make a huge difference when it comes to saving big.

Actions include turning off the tap while brushing teeth, shorter showers, alerting adults to leaking bubblers, taps or shower heads, and being more mindful of their water use.

They will learn how to read a water meter, conduct a school water audit, identify leaks and discover opportunities to make positive changes on campus.

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is leading the program in partnership with the NSW Department of Education. Teachers from Environmental and Zoo Education Centres will deliver workshops at both schools from 30 April to 2 May.

It comes before the NSW Department of Education's Sustainability Outreach week in Broken Hill in June, where a further 500 students will learn the importance of water efficiency.

The pilot program has already delivered similar water-wise lessons in 59 schools across the state since last year. Water efficiency programs, including this pilot, are a key priority of the NSW Water Strategy, an innovative plan to guide water management to 2040 and deliver resilient and sustainable water resources in NSW including remote areas in the Far West.

In regional NSW, we've already saved a staggering 5.8 billion litres of water per year through other water efficiency measures such as using high-tech equipment to detect and fix leaking pipes. That's enough water to service 30,500 new households each year.

We're also investing in priority councils to fund new leakage reduction projects, including $150,000 in co-funding awarded to Central Darling Shire Council to install new telemetry to enhance leak response capabilities and conduct customer meter accuracy testing.

For more information on water efficiency and learning resources, visit: https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plans-and-programs/water-efficiency/school-water-education-resources

For more information visit the NSW Department of Education's Environmental and Zoo Education Centres.

NSW DCCEEW Executive Director, Operations and Resilience Ashraf El-Sherbini said:

"Even though Wilcannia and Western NSW have seen recent rainfall, we know we're facing a drier and more variable climate in the future, and longer and more extreme droughts are inevitable.

"Smart water use has never been more important, and it starts with early education. It's essential we all use the water we have wisely.

"Today's children are tomorrow's leaders and embedding these positive behaviours from a young age will lead to a better and more sustainable future, because even the smallest action can add up to big water savings.

"Every drop of water counts and every person, young and old, has a role to play."