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Wesley College

Wesley College case study

Wesley College, Glen Waverley Campus, has approximately 1,200 students from Kindergarten through to Year 12 and is set upon 7 hectares of playing fields, ornamental lawns and gardens.

The College uses an average of around 24 million litres of water per year, the majority of which is used for irrigation and within the amenities of the College.

Water Conservation Initiatives
Wesley College have been working in partnership with Yarra Valley Water in pursuit of water efficiency improvements for over 10 years. The College’s strategic water management plan outlines an integrated water management approach with key actions and initiatives on water efficiency, reuse and recycling.

Water Efficiency Projects
As part of the Sustainable Schools program, Wesley College undertook a water use audit in 2003 to determine the water efficiency priorities for the College. As a result a number of upgrades were undertaken to shower heads, urinals and toilets, irrigation systems and taps throughout the campus.

Water Harvesting and Treatment Projects
A major water recycling project was initiated at Wesley College in 2006. The project involves the pumping of ground water from an existing bore and treating it at an onsite desalination plant.

The desalination plant relies on reverse osmosis technology to remove salt from the ground water, making it suitable for reuse on the College’s sportsgrounds.

The project has practically eliminated the need to use drinking water outdoors and has the capacity to also reduce water used in the College’s swimming pool in the future.
In addition the College is currently developing a project that will harvest stormwater for reuse on the playing fields, ornamental lawns and gardens.

Creating a sustainable futureWesley College Tanks
Students are also benefiting academically from the integrated water management plans at Wesley College. The desalination plant acts as a state-of-the-art chemistry lab that teaches them about desalination while also producing safe drinking. The students are also involved in the water efficiency and reuse projects at the College.

What’s been achieved?
Wesley College have saved around 10 million litres of water over the last three years, which equates to around 10 Olympic sized swimming pools or 35% of the College’s total water use!


For more information
Hayne Meredith, Head of Outdoor Education
Telephone 8102-6587
Email Hayne.Meredith@wesleycollege.net