SAND between the toes was a small price to pay for the 820 students of Trinity College, Beenleigh, who traipsed 15km along the Gold Coast beaches to raise money for school water tanks.
About $16,000 was raised at the beach-a-thon held Friday 4 May, and the College’s Student Council could not have chosen a more appropriate and environmentally friendly way to spend the funds – money will assist in the purchasing of two 22,000-litre plastic tanks.
But this move is only a stepping-stone in achieving the College’s ultimate goal, which is to rely on as little town water as possible.
At present it uses 2.4 million litres of water each year, but hopes to eventually reduce this amount to 400,000 litres, which would be necessary for cooking classes and playground bubblers.
Head of Physical Education, Paul Gardner, is the driving force behind these long-term pursuits and said it was an “exceptionally wise” and “timely” move the students made.
“The school needs to be more water efficient and the students have now got the ball rolling,” he said.
“These tanks will catch water from the auditorium roof and supply the senior’s toilets, but we are applying for a government grant to allow us to buy an extra seven or eight tanks.
“Eventually we want to supply all toilets with tank water and use it for gardening and irrigation too.
“Hopefully students will see us saving water and will be encouraged to do the same at home.”
Gold Coast Council’s Water Sustainability Committee Chair, Councillor Daphne McDonald, said students at Trinity College deserved to be congratulated for their efforts.
“They have set a fine example for other schools and organizations,” Councillor McDonald said.
“Water is a major issue for South East Queensland and every effort we make goes towards ensuring our water future.”
