New water management guide for schools

27 July 2011

The Department of Health has released a new step-by-step guide to assist regional and rural Victorian schools in safe drinking water management.

A guide to completing a water supply management plan – for schools using private drinking water supplies, provides schools across the state with the ability to ensure the rainwater and bore water supplies for their students is of the highest possible quality.

There are currently more than 200 schools across Victoria that are not on a mains reticulated supply and provide water for students from rainwater tanks, bore water or supplies carted in from elsewhere.

Greta Valley Primary School is one of the first schools to incorporate the guide in the school curriculum.

Currently Greta Valley Primary School captures rainwater from the roof and uses the water for drinking, toilet flushing and watering the kitchen garden. Rainwater is also collected in a rainwater tank dedicated for firefighting.

While schools across Victoria are already adequately managing their private water supplies, these guidelines act as an additional tool to assist schools manage their drinking water supplies when mains water is not available.

The guide has been prepared by the Department of Health in consultation with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Further information

To find out more and to download the guide, visit the department’s Environmental Health webpage.