Resource+Smart+Water+Audit

** Audit of practices and plan for action ** ** School: Aquinas College ** ** Date: February 2011 Prepared by John Cull ** //35 practices required for certification// //Practices in place (19) practices for consideration (16) more immediate attention required (3 litter) // A: Workplace/Operational A1 Systems Design and Management //__ All __// practices present
 * ResourceSmart Certification Tool - Water **
 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Water and stormwater assessments undertaken ||   ||
 *  Baseline data completed and on School Environment Tracking System (SETS) ||   ||
 *  Use of DEECD’s advice to principals to help support targets (Administrative Guidelines) or similar systemic initiatives for Catholic & Independent schools ||   ||

A2 Development and Planning At least //__two__// practices present
 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Whole school water reduction/conservation development plan in place ||   ||
 *  Professional development for staff on water conservation/water quality/river health (Waterwatch)/water efficiency and associated themes || John did water watch training 2010 ||
 *  The school has applied for water related grants and/or entered environmental awards and competitions (e.g. Watersaver Awards, Water Lili Awards, ResourceSmart Schools Awards) || grant attained for installation of water tanks on Oval and stormwater harvesting ||

** A3 Water Efficiency - Management, Maintenance and Monitoring ** //__ All __// practices present


 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Interpretive signage re water conservation practices evident in staffrooms, toilets/bathrooms, canteen, art rooms and general classrooms ||   ||
 *  Maintenance regimes implemented (e.g. for taps, toilets, showers, dishwashers, cleaning of stormwater pits, oval watering, irrigation and/or night watering) ||   ||
 *  Water monitoring systems and equipment (e.g. Waterguard) in place and figures on SETS ||   ||

** A4 Water Efficiency - Sustainable Building Management **//__ All __// practices present


 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  No leaky taps or fittings present inside rooms or in school grounds ||   ||
 *  Water pressure and heating adjusted to appropriate settings ||   ||
 *  Non-water based approaches to cleaning used where possible ||   ||

** A5 Water Efficiency – Retrofitting and Technology ** At least //__two__// practices present


 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Flow controllers retrofitted to main use areas ||   ||
 *  Installation of 3 or 4 star water efficient flow standard fittings to key usage areas in new buildings e.g. staffroom, food tech and bathrooms ||   ||
 *  Installation or retrofitting of dual flush toilets ||   ||
 *  Installation of composting toilets and/or waterless urinals ||   ||
 *  Installation of automatic flush urinals ||   ||
 *  Installation of tap timers and auto shut off taps ||   ||
 *  Installation of 4, 5 or 6 star water efficient rated appliances where appropriate (e.g. dish washers) ||   ||

** A6 Water Efficiency - Grounds/School Yard Management ** At least //__four__// practices present

· Science room(s) · Art room(s) · Food Technology and Material Technology room(s) · First aid room ||   ||
 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Composting and mulching systems used to build soil fertility and to support water retention/absorption and reduction in evaporation in garden beds (e.g. garden waste composted/mulched on site and used in garden beds) || mulching in place over garden beds throughout the school and composting increasing in usage in 2011 ||
 *  Collection of stormwater for garden watering ||   ||
 *  Planting of appropriate local provenance drought tolerant plants to suit environment and climatic conditions ||   ||
 *  Subsurface, drip and timed irrigation (to ensure watering at appropriate times) used where applicable ||   ||
 *  Rain sensors installed ensuring watering only when needed ||   ||
 *  Rinse/wash protocols in place (where applicable) for:
 *  Control processes in place for rubbish free stormwater pits (e.g. evidenced by stormwater gutters and pipes in clean and good condition, s tormwater /litter signage such as “Only Rain in the Drain”)  || Discussed with ARl. Maroondah Council run free sessions in schools looking to implement ||

** A7 Reuse/Recycling (Where Applicable) **


 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Reuse of grey water as per EPA guidelines ||   ||
 *  Reuse of storm and/or grey water for toilet water supply || Program to be implemented check on date for this ||
 *  Reuse of stormwater for garden water supply as per EPA guidelines ||   ||
 *  Stormwater diversion for wetland, habitat or irrigation systems evident ||   ||
 *  Water tanks (or alternative systems) used for the collection and redistribution of stormwater ||   ||

B: Learning and Teaching ** B1 Water, Waterways and Catchments ** At least //__six__// practices present

· use of school grounds as an authentic learning space to encourage nature-based, informal, outdoor learning · water conservation and water usage reduction · excursions to provide students with first hand experience of catchments and local waterways/natural areas and/or to water education centres · links to home-based projects and behaviour change in water usage and using save water calculators for example, the Home Water Investigator on Melbourne Water’s website ||   ||
 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  There is an action plan which clearly targets classroom activities across the school to address school sustainability in water policy/curriculum (see Water: Learn It! Live it! Silver level - this is a metropolitan based program only) ||   ||
 *  Clearly targeted classroom activities in water issues that match the students’ stages of learning and personal development ||   ||
 *  Classroom activities in water issues are clearly linked to outcomes in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards ||   ||
 *  Learning and teaching in the classroom are linked to practical, ‘hands-on’ activities that encourage:
 *  School program provides students with the opportunity to take responsibility for classroom activities and programs in water issues. ||   ||
 *  Interactive ICT resources used by students to gain information on and increase understanding of water and the water cycle, water issues and stormwater quality ||   ||
 *  School engages indigenous learning perspectives in curriculum development and relates this to water ||   ||
 *  Incursion to provide students and teachers with knowledge and motivation around water conservation ||   ||
 *  Guest speakers as part of in-school education programs on water ||   ||
 *  Participation in Waterwatch, Saltwatch, Coastwatch, (Department of Sustainability and Environment DSE) Catchment Management Authority (CMA) or equivalent habitat foc used programs || VCE Environmental Science participation in water watch ||
 *  Using SETS as a curriculum activity to monitor progress in water reduction in the school ||   ||

C: Whole School Community Engagement ** C1 Policy and Reporting **//__ All __// practices present


 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Water policies, targets and action plan approved by school council/planning committee ||   ||
 *  Regular communication of water activities and programs program provided to the whole school (e.g. reports at school assemblies, annual school reports, newsletters, displays and end of year assemblies, parent/teacher night presentations, School Council reports) ||   ||
 *  Regular feedback on the water activities and programs sought from the whole school (students, staff, parents, School Council/committee and community support personnel) ||   ||
 *  At least one case study of school success in water issues completed and uploaded onto school/departmental/sustainability website ||   ||
 *  Sustainability education in water included as a priority or focus area or emphasis in the school goals (in school plan, policy, administration and/or curriculum charts ||   ||
 *  School events target being water conservation and avoid wastage ||   ||

** C2 Student and Parent Leadership ** At least //__two__// practices present


 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  Students involved in planning and managing the water conservation and stormwater quality programs (e.g. Student Action Teams) ||   ||
 *  School environment leadership through students instituted in the school ||   ||
 *  School Environment Club active ||   ||
 *  Parents and other members of the school community assist in the planning and management of the water module ||   ||
 *  Parents and other members of the school community assist in implementing actions of the water module ||   ||

** C3 Community and Communication Links ** At least //__four__// practices present


 * ** Towards best practice activities ** || ** Examples/Comments ** ||
 *  School liaises and/or works with local or regional water groups (e.g. regional/council education officer, local water authority, NGOs) to develop school-based and joint projects ||   ||
 *  Staff and/or students have attended local environmental network meetings ||   ||
 *  Staff and students participated in local waterways project and activities (e.g. Clean-Up Australia Day, revegetation projects, Land Care, Saltwatch, Coast Care and Waterwatch or other catchment programs) ||   ||
 *  Questions about the attitudes and changes in home water smart behaviour included in annual parent surveys and wider school community surveys ||   ||
 *  Ideas and activities for being more water smart at home included in school newsletters to families ||   ||
 *  Staff and/or students mentor other schools ||   ||
 *  Students and staff open dialogue about water related issues with other schools across the nation and globe ||   ||
 *  Staff and/or students give presentations on their school water and storm water programs to other schools ||   ||
 *  School liaises with political representatives from local, state and federal governments and local business and local ‘friends of’ groups for support of projects ||   ||