Primary schools get water-wise

Eco club members at Hillwood Primary School are becoming more water wise.

The Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (CTEET) has been running a water conservation programme during May.

The programme consists of four afternoon sessions with pupils from Floreat, Harmony, Hillwood, Imperial, Rocklands and Springdale primary schools where a different water-related topic is covered each week – ranging from understanding water and the need to save it, to how water affects biodiversity and the importance of wetlands. See story on facing page.

The highlight of the programme was when the environmental club pupils helped implement grey water drip-systems in their own school grounds.

Taryn van Neel, the CTEET Eco-Schools Officer, said the session was practical and both teachers and pupils enjoyed learning about the clever concept and seeing it work in their own schools.

The grey water drip-system involves planting a 2L plastic bottle with holes all around the base next to a tree or bush. These bottles are then filled with collected grey water and the cap is closed. This minimises water loss through evaporation and ensures the water goes to the roots.

This system is an example of recycling and good water usage.