Reducing water use
Merrimac State High School, Qld
What did they do?
Merrimac State High School is on the Gold Coast in Queensland and has about 1200 students from years 8-12. The school reduced its water consumption by 64% from 2001-2 to 2002-3. This saved it 30 799 thousand litres or more than 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools full of water!
How did they do it?
Merrimac began its water saving plans in 1998 when it became involved in the Gold Coast City Councils WaterWise schools education program. It installed 36 water meters and monitored them to carry out a full water audit.
To reduce its water use the school made some changes. All the pipes and taps were monitored and replaced if they were leaking. All outside or non-essential taps were changed to use handles that need special fittings to operate. Gardens with exotic plants were replaced with water efficient native plants. Mulch was used in the gardens to reduce evaporation and minimise watering needed. The school cleaners also reduced their water use by using mops, buckets and brooms for cleaning instead of hosing. In 2003 the school was recognised as one of the Gold Coast's top water saving businesses.
Thanks to Merrimac State High School, Vic
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