31 August 2026
Greater Western Water's (GWW) is helping students become water wise by teaching them about the School Water Efficiency Program (SWEP) and empowering them to make a difference.
GWW's Water Wise @ School is a free education incursion that combines curriculum-aligned classroom learning. The program uses SWEP data loggers that enables students to explore how water is used across their school, identify trends and investigate opportunities to reduce water usage.
SWEP is a free program offered by the Victorian Government where participating schools receive a data logger that connects to their water meter and continuously tracks water use across the school.
The data is displayed through an interactive online platform, allowing schools to monitor consumption patterns, identify unusual water patterns that may indicate leaks, and take action to reduce water usage and lower water costs.
GWW General Manager Strategy and Partnerships Kessia Thomson said GWW's Water Wise @ School program helps students understand exactly how much water their school is using, investigate patterns and then share their findings with their classmates, teachers and even their families at home.
"This is a fantastic way for us to connect directly with our community while helping educate younger generations about the importance of being water wise," Ms Thomson said.
"Our qualified educators deliver engaging incursions in schools and work closely with teachers to support classroom learning. Through hands-on activities and access to real-time water data, we're helping students connect what they learn in the classroom with practical actions they can take every day," Ms Thomson said.
New Gisborne Primary School recently participated in the program, with teachers praising its ability to connect classroom learning with real-world outcomes.
Teacher Seamus Dwyer said the program sparked ongoing student conversations about water conservation.
"Following the incursion, students have been highly engaged throughout the week, regularly discussing trends in the data," Mr Dwyer said.
"Many students in my class have, without prompting, independently shared and applied water-saving techniques in everyday conversations. It has allowed for so much follow-up discussion."
GWW delivers free education incursions across its service region, helping to support students from kindergarten through to secondary school with resources, lesson plans, videos and interactive learning experiences focused on water literacy and sustainability.
Schools interested in participating in SWEP or booking a free education session can visit gww.com.au/education
About us:
Greater Western Water (GWW) is a Victorian Government water corporation. We provide water and recycled water supply, sewerage and trade waste services to our customers and communities. We operate across 3,700 square kilometres stretching from Melbourne’s central business district (CBD) and inner suburbs to Little River in the south, Myrniong in the west and Lancefield in the north.
Contact details:
0417 459 575
[email protected]
