World Water Week: Fostering a Generation of Water-Wise Children

In celebration of World Water Week, the City’s Water Conservation team has taken the initiative to promote water-saving practices among primary school learners. The team’s innovative approach, combined with an engaging educational experience and a water-themed board game, has proved successful in driving home the importance of water conservation.

City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate promoting water conservation

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is actively involved in awareness initiatives throughout the year. The Water Conservation unit works tirelessly within communities, educating residents in their homes, schools, and workplaces on the significance of saving water. With the global theme for World Water Week in 2023 being “Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World,” the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate supports this cause through their programs and initiatives.

Fun-filled morning at Christel House Junior School

The Water Conservation team recently visited Christel House Junior School in Ottery, treating learners from Grade R to Grade 7 to a fun-filled morning. The young students eagerly pledged to save water and encouraged their friends to do the same. The presenter shared valuable water-saving tips, which the learners attentively listened to and repeated.

A giant water-themed board game

The highlight of the program was a giant 4m x 4m water-themed board game. Developed in-house in 2007 during a drought, the game has undergone several modifications and improvements. Its ultimate goal is to promote behavioral change and disseminate information about the City’s water by-laws. Players are encouraged to adopt good water practices while playing the game.

Learning to give back to the community and be water-wise

Christel House Junior School’s principal, Carol Kriel, acknowledges the importance of teaching students about giving back to their communities and being water-wise. The school utilizes rain and groundwater to maintain its gardens and explores innovative methods through its science and recycling clubs. These methods include collecting rainwater and dewdrops in plastic bottles to water plants.

Raising public awareness for water conservation

In addition to school awareness programs, the Water Conservation team conducts activations at various locations, including shopping malls, religious institutions, businesses, and major lifestyle events across Cape Town. With the scarcity of water resources becoming an increasingly pressing global concern, efforts like those of the City’s Water Conservation team during World Water Week are crucial in raising public awareness. By educating and inspiring the younger generation, they are planting the seeds of change, paving the way for a water-wise future.