Crystal Brook students have the smarts on water

Students from Crystal Brook Primary School have shown they’ve got the smarts on water management, presenting the latest findings from their smart water meter study to SA Water’s Chief Executive.

Crystal Brook is one of 10 South Australian schools participating in SA Water’s Smart Water Schools program, which provides students with access to a secure portal gathering real-time information from loggers attached to their water meter.

SA Water Chief Executive Roch Cheroux said the interactive education program is exceeding expectations.

"The technology has helped students at Crystal Brook identify and investigate unexpected patterns in water usage," Roch said.

"Crystal Brook’s smart meter began delivering water and cost savings shortly after it was installed, helping find a malfunctioning water timer on the school’s irrigation system, which was always on and unnecessarily using up to 11 kilolitres a day.

"One of the best things about this program is that it’s student-driven; they’re now using the data to map how water is used within the school and identifying, prioritising and implementing research and science experiments that could lead to more efficiencies.

"It's rewarding to see how our smart meter initiative captures the imagination of students, and empowers them to help their school."

Lauded by students and teachers alike, the smart meter project links to the Australian Curriculum across Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The smart meter equipment, training for teachers and ongoing support is offered by SA Water to participating schools free of charge.

"Smart water meters and networks are the way of the future and today's presentations show that Crystal Brook students are in tune with the way technology can help us lead the way," Roch said.

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