Schools saved over 100 million litres of water in 2025 with Schools Water Efficiency Program
26 March 2026
Greater Western Water (GWW) is celebrating the success of the Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP), which is helping schools across our region save water, money, and educate the next generation about the value of this vital resource.
In 2025 alone, 215 participating schools in GWW’s region collectively saved approximately 103.1 million litres of water at an estimated avoided cost of $488,000. This is thanks to early detection and repair of issues such as dripping taps, leaking toilets, and malfunctioning evaporative coolers.
This week the Victorian Government announced the removal of SWEP program fees, making the program free for all Victorian primary and secondary schools.
GWW's General Manager for Strategy and Partnerships, Kessia Thomson, said the organisation is proud to support schools in building environmentally responsible habits through the program, and encourages new schools to sign up to save water in 2026.
"While more than 80% of the water savings come from finding leaks early and repairing fixtures and fittings, SWEP also helps schools to understand and implement smarter everyday water use.
"With dry conditions impacting parts of our service region, it's more important than ever to make every drop count, and the SWEP program is one of the ways we're supporting our communities to use water wisely," she said.
SWEP is a Victorian Government initiative that enables schools to track their water use in real-time by installing data loggers on water meters. This technology allows schools to identify leaks, faulty appliances, or unusually high-water usage, often before they become major problems.
Last year, SWEP schools saved on average $2,200 on their water bills, which is money that can be spent back into the school. Additionally SWEP is an engaging educational tool; using real-time data, teachers can show students how their actions impact the environment. The curriculum-linked resources help students connect classroom learning to real-world outcomes; at school and at home.
Arnold's Creek Primary School's unusually high water bills were unexplainable, until SWEP data loggers showed significant water usage at unusual hours like 2am and 3am. This real-time information helped the school narrow down the source of the issue to their irrigation system.
The school's business manager Elisha Squires said, "The SWEP program has been invaluable in helping us understand our water usage patterns. The real-time data gave us the information we needed to investigate properly and make informed decisions. We're now empowered to manage our water consumption more effectively, which means we can redirect savings back into resources for our students."
The program also supports the Victorian Government's Resource Smart Schools initiative, helping schools complete their water module and build long-term sustainability practices. So far over half of all Victorian schools have joined the program which is working towards signing up 100 percent of government schools by 2030.
