Stage 4 - Water ChallengeMARCH 1st – MARCH 31st

Stage 4 – Water Challenge has the following activities for your Green Team:

1. Water Audit - 2 pts. 2. Community Engagement: Water - 1 pt.3. Sustainability Patrols – 1 pt.

Innovation Opportunities

1. My Green School Art Contest – 1 pt.2. Water Use and Saving at Home Activity – 1 pt.

Stage 4- Water Challenge - Overview

Overview: Where do you think you use the most water in your school? Is it in the restrooms? What about the cafeteria? Does your school use water outside? The Water

Students performing a water audit.

High school students building an aquaponics system.

Challenge aims to engage green teams in reducing their school’s water consumption and to promote a culture of conservation within the school and community. The projects in this stage are designed to help you save water, both in school and in the homes of students and staff and other community members. By completing the projects, you can also earn up to 4 points and an additional 2 points are possible through suggested innovation projects.

Projects: The Water Challenge includes three projects which include analyzing your school’s water use, educating students, staff and community members about the benefits of reducing water consumption and identifying water waste. The Water Challenge also includes Sustainability Patrols, (1 possible point) and two possible innovation projects. All projects are due by 5pm Thursday, April 13th 2017.

Background:

The state of Michigan is surrounded by 21% of all of the freshwater in the world. The water from three of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie, is an immediate part of our water system. No other state can say that!

So, since we have so much fresh water, we can use as much as we want, right?

No way! The water we use to drink, brush our teeth, cook our food, flush our toilets and even water our gardens has to go through a lot of treatment before it gets to us. This treatment process takes a lot of energy (and remember- we want to save that!) and costs a lot of money. On top of that, the dirty water that goes down our drains has to be treated too and then gets put back in the river. If we use a lot of water all at once, sometimes this means that we pollute our rivers! (*See Community Engagement activity for more) It’s important to reduce the amount of water we use to save money and to keep all of our lakes clean.

How can we help save water in school and at home?

There are lots of ways to help your school save water! Here are a few:

Do a Water Audit to investigate where your school might have leaks that are wasting lots of water all the time!

Do Sustainability Patrols to make sure other students and teachers are using water appropriately!

Talk to other students, teachers, parents and other community members about easy ways to save water at home, like testing toilets for leaks, taking shorter showers and replacing showerheads and faucets!

Get creative! Use your creativity to get the message out or find ways to catch rainwater to use at your school.

Have students been able to save water in the past?

Lots! And our savings were not based on facility upgrades or toilet replacements– they are the result of sustained water conservation efforts, sometimes referred to as behavior-based savings.

Besides the financial benefits, are there any other reasons to save water? Yes!

Supporting STEM education, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership skills. Creating healthier, more comfortable schools for learning and working. Helping parents and community members save energy and water at home.

Ok, I’m in! What now? We suggest meeting with your green team and your AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators to come up with a plan. Let your principal, facility manager, PACSA lead, and other teachers and staff know that you are competing to save energy and water and you’re in it to win!

Stage 4 GGC Project: School Water Audit–2pts

OVERVIEW: Did you know that the Great Lakes Basin holds 21% of the fresh surface water in the world? Yet the system to purify, deliver, and drain water for our region is a major and

expensive undertaking, with DPSCD schools alone spending over $1,500,000 a year on water bills.

In this project your Green Team will have the opportunity to perform a basic water audit in your school. First, you will find, catalogue, and suggest improvements for the water-using fixtures (toilets, faucets, etc.), earning 1 point. Your green team will then choose a way to present your findings and recommendations to help save water at your school or at home, earning 1 additional point.

In 2015, DPSCD Go Green students found leaks totaling over 2,825 gallons per day -- that’s 1,031,307 gallons per year or over one and a half Olympic sized swimming pools per year! With detailed information about the leaks you discover, the DPSCD Go Green Challenge will help create a strong case to prioritize the repair of the water wasters at your school!

PROCEDURE:

1) Share with Your School – Make sure your school knows they are competing in the DPSCD Go Green Challenge to save water and that you plan on performing a water audit. In addition to your Facility Manager, kitchen staff is important to engage.

2) Prepare – Talk as a Green Team about the importance of saving water -- your AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators can guide these discussions. Next, schedule your audit. Your Facility Manger and AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators can help to conduct the audit.

3) Complete the Audit (earn 1 pt) – Have fun, be respectful, and help the DPSCD Go Green Challenge save water! The goals are to:a. Identify all fixtures that use water in the school and record them in the

Water Audit Workbook (separate Excel document). Identify any conservation opportunities for each fixture (see below for suggestions).

b. For fixtures that leak, measure the daily leak rate and convert to the annual leak rate and annual cost. Please ask your AmeriCorps coordinators for a Drip Gauge to measure the leaks. Please see below for how to record your leaks in the Water Audit Workbook.

4) Share Your Findings (earn 1 pt) - To earn one additional GGC point your green team may choose one of following ways to present your findings or to further help save water at school or home. a. Create a poster documenting how much water is used or wasted in your

school and what your classmates and school staff can do to save water!b. Take it home in a flyer, pamphlet or other piece of communication and let

your community know what you’ve learned about saving water!

CRITERIA:

To earn this point for the Go Green Challenge, you must submit both a completed Water Audit Workbook and two (2) photos of how your team shared your findings with others.

CREDLY CODE:

Use this code to claim your credit on Credly: GGCWaterAudit

HOW TO RECORD LEAKS IN THE WATER AUDIT WORKBOOK:

Record your findings in the Water Audit Workbook. The Workbook is an Excel sheet that can be downloaded here.

Measure a dripping leak: Use the drip gauge provided (ask your AmeriCorps coordinators) to measure the daily leak rate in gallons per day and enter this into the Water Audit Workbook. To convert this to the annual cost, you will do two simple calculations. Below is an example for a leaky sink.

1) Convert daily leak rate (gallons) to annual leak rate (gallons).

Example – daily leak rate of 22 gallons / day X 365 days / year = 8,030 gallons / year

2) Convert annual leak rate (gallons) to annual cost.

Example – annual leak rate of 8,030 gallons / year X $0.0091 / gallon = $73.07 per year.

Estimate other leaks like running toilets, urinals, and other leaks that you cannot measure:

Measuring a running toilet or urinal leak is notoriously difficult (and potentially very unsanitary!). For running toilets, running urinals, boiler make–up water, and other leaks that we can’t measure with a container, we will have to estimate or ask your Facility Manager to estimate. Record the location of the leak and how many gallons per day you estimate it wastes in your Water Audit Workbook.

Some common estimates are:

Running toilet leak (slow) – 40 gallons per day

Running toilet Leak (average) – 200 gallons per day

Running toilet leak (large, the toilet is continuously flushing) –2,000 gallons per day

Boiler-make up leaks – please ask your Facility Manager to estimate

Other Leaks – we welcome your or your Facility Manager’s best guess!

WATER CONSERVTION OPPORTUNITIES: COMMON WAYS TO SAVE WATER WITH GOOD CONSERVATION BEHAVIOR

Below are some common ways you can save water in your school and at home. Use these ideas to save water at school– and use them to save water at home and reduce your water bill.

At School:

Faucets – Only use what you need. Many people have the habit of turning the water all the way up when using a faucet, even if less than the full flow is needed. Turning the faucet on to just the level you need can reduce your usage by 75% if done properly! Be sure to check restrooms, classrooms, kitchen areas, and utility/custodial closets for faucets and to inspect them for leaks.

Boilers – The boilers that heat your school heat up water that is piped around the school to provide heat. These systems often have small leaks, meaning water is wasted and the boiler has to work overtime. Check with your Facility Manager to get an estimate of how much water your boiler system is losing to leaks.

Kitchens –With a number of faucets and other water users, kitchens are great places to save water!

Toilets and Urinals – Please be sure to check for leaks here! A running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons a day and run up our schools’ water bills.

Drinking Fountains – Please inspect all drinking fountains for leaks. Leaks – Please note all leaks in the Water Audit Workbook. Leaks are one of the

biggest water wasters in any building. Even a small leak running 24 hours a day can add up to hundreds or thousands of gallons in a year. DPSCD pays about 1 cent for a gallon of water – a medium sized leak of 1 gallon per minute can cost over $4,000 a year!

At Home:

Customers of DTE Gas are eligible for FREE water-saving showerheads and water-saving aerators (for bathroom faucets and kitchen faucets). Parents may call 866.796.0512 to schedule a “Home Energy Consultation” from DTE, which will provide and install these water-saving measures at no charge! These devices can reduce water usage by 50% or more without reducing pressure.

Showers - with these large water users, remember that shorter showers save water. Check for toilet leaks – these major water wasters can be often be inexpensively and

easily fixed at home by replacing the toilet “flapper”. Run clothes or dishwashers only when full. Sweep sidewalks and drives instead of washing. Use the above strategies to save water at home or talk your AmeriCorps Green School

Coordinators for more home water saving tips.

Stage 4 – GGC Project – Community Engagement – 1pt

DESCRIPTION

In this project, students are encouraged to engage their community members in Going Green, both within their school walls and beyond. In this activity, students are asked to become the experts in

water and to deliver information and resources to their classmates, teachers, family and community. This is a great time to lean on your AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators for support. AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators train extensively on this information and how to deliver it to your students. If you are unable to connect with an AmeriCorps Green School Coordinator, have your students research the water facts and water actions to build understanding before delivering information to their community.

There are several ways your Green Team can earn this point, including some familiar projects and some brand new! Please read carefully through the options and requirements below and talk with your AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators about the best way for your team to earn this point.

CRITERIA

Choose ONE of the following activities to complete with your Green Team to earn a Community Engagement point:

Activity 1: Deliver “Water in Detroit 101” Information to Classmates

Green Team students learn about the basics of water in Detroit with their AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators

Green Team students understand and train on the 5 facts and 5 actions included in the “Water in Detroit 101” toolkit piece.

Green Team students present the 5 facts and 5 actions included in the “Water in Detroit 101” toolkit piece to 3 classrooms.

Collect signatures from at least 40 students and/or staff confirming their intent to put what they learned from the Green Team into action.

Green Team submits their signature sheet via Credly.

Activity 2: Deliver “Water in Detroit 101” Information to Community

Green Team students learn about the basics of water in Detroit with their AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators

Green Team students understand and train on the 5 facts and 5 actions included in the “Water in Detroit 101” toolkit piece.

Green Team students present the 5 facts and 5 actions included in the “Water in Detroit 101” toolkit piece to family, neighbors, or other community members.

Green Team students collect signatures from at least 20 community members confirming their intent to put what they learned from the Green Team into action.

Green Team submits their signature sheet via Credly.

Activity 3: Hold a Parent Water Saving Workshop at Your School!

Green Team students work with their AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators to train on a part of the Parent Water Saving Workshop.

Green Team students and AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators work with your school PACSA or another parent group to invite parents to your school for a Parent Water Saving Workshop.

AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators facilitate a 1.5 hour Parent Water Saving Workshop, with the help of the Green Team. Parents who attend receive valuable water-saving information and free water-saving materials.

Green Team submits a sign in sheet, documenting that at least 10 parents were in attendance and a photo of the Green Team assisting in the workshop.

EVIDENCE

To earn this point, you must submit ONE of the following materials. The materials you submit are dependent on which of the three activities your team completes.

Activity 1: to earn this point, you must submit the Classroom Signature Sheet via Credly, confirming that Green Team students have delivered the “Water in Detroit 101” material to at least 3 classrooms and at least 40 students.

Activity 2: to earn this point, you must submit the Community Signature Sheet via Credly, confirming that Green Team students have delivered the “Water in Detroit 101” material to at least 20 community members.

Activity 3: to earn this point, you must submit the sign in sheet from the Parent Water Saving Workshop via Credly. The sign in sheet must show that at least 10 parents were in attendance. Additionally, you must submit a photo of the Green Team assisting the AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators with the workshop.

CREDLY CODE

Use this code to claim your credit on Credly: GGCCommunityWater

Water 101

To be used to train Green Team students for Community Engagement Activities 1 and 2. Please consult with your AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators to help prepare students before delivering this information to their community.

Did you know?

1. The Great Lakes provide drinking water to 30 million people and represent 21% of the world’s freshwater!

2. Detroit has a combined sewer system which means that storm water mixes with the wastewater that goes down the drain and has to be treated using energy and chemicals.

3. When the combined sewer system of storm water and wastewater is too full, the facility to clean the water cannot hold all the water resulting in combined sewer overflows (CSO) of untreated sewer water into the Rouge and Detroit Rivers.

4. In 2014 there were 19 combined sewer overflows (CSOs), which deposited over 3 billion gallons of untreated storm water runoff from the DWSD plant. That’s over 5,000 swimming pools worth of untreated water!

5. Blue Green Infrastructure, such as rain gardens and rain barrels, protect the Great Lakes and our drinking water by managing storm water and preventing pollution while also increasing natural habitat.

Take Action!

1. Reuse/Recycle Storm water at home and school. Collected storm water in rain barrels can be used for gardening, watering lawns and washing vehicles. Collected storm water decreases the amount going into the combined sewer system and saves money and energy of cleaning usable water.

2. Disconnecting downspouts. Redirecting storm water off of your roof onto your lawn keeps the rain out of the sewer system and from contributing to CSOs.

3. Plant a rain garden or bioswale. Rain gardens and bioswales collect storm water and keep it out of the combined sewer system while increasing beautification and habitat. Contact Detroit Water Sewer Department to save more www.detroitmi.gov/dwsd

4. Plant trees! Tree’s leaves catch water to be evaporated and their roots help the soil to absorb storm water better. Contact Greening of Detroit for more information www.greeningofdetroit.com

5. Conserve fresh water. Taking shorter showers, turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth and using drought tolerant plants and grasses for yard can preserve our limited freshwater supply.

Classroom Signature Sheet

To be used and turned in via Credly for Community Engagement Activity 1. Forty (40) signatures from at least 3 classrooms are required to earn this point.

By signing below, I confirm that I have received Water training and pledge to help save water in my school!

#Classroo

mSignature

Will you take

action?

EX 201 Gino Green Yes!

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Community Signature Sheet

To be used and turned in via Credly for Community Engagement Activity 2. Twenty (20) signatures are required to earn this point.

By signing below, I confirm that I have received Water training and pledge to save water and money in my home!

# SignatureWill you

take action?

EX Gabriella Green Yes!

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Parent Water Workshop Sign In SheetTo be used and turned in via Credly for Community Engagement Activity 3. At least 10 parents must attend a workshop to receive a Go Green Challenge point. A photo of the Green Team assisting with the Parent Water Workshop must also be included.

School Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Date of Parent Water Workshop: ___________________________________________

# SignatureWill you

take action?

EX Gordon Green Yes!

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Signature of Green Team Member: _____________________________________________________________________

Signature ofSustainabilityCoordinator: _____________________________________________________________________

Stage 4 – GGC Project – Sustainability Patrols – 1 pt.

DESCRIPTION

Green Teams that patrol their school are effective at conserving resources and lowering utility costs by reducing or eliminating wasteful practices and promoting environmental stewardship behaviors among the whole school community. There are several simple, no-cost actions that green teams can take to reduce the school’s utility costs and save natural resources:

Turning off running faucets Reporting any leaks to the facility manager or your AmeriCorps Green School

Coordinators Reporting observations about how more water could be saved – e.g. installing rain

barrels for watering gardens, planting trees, etc. Making posters and announcements to promote water conservation

In addition to the resource savings, sustainability patrols are also vehicles for other student benefits:

Instill a sense of responsibility and ownership Enhance problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills Fostering leadership

Eliminating waste and changing behavior requires on-going efforts from a committed group of people, especially students.

CRITERIA

1. RECRUIT a group of students to conduct sustainability patrols. An entire class can be selected for this responsibility or students may be asked to complete a simple application. Group size could range from about 4 at the lower end to 10-12 as an upper limit.

2. SCHEDULE A MEETING with your students and your AmeriCorps coordinators, who will present the project to students, provide materials such as student badges and report forms, and train your students in their first energy sustainability patrol.

3. CONDUCTING PATROLS. Students should patrol as many rooms in the school as possible (classrooms, offices, gym, cafeteria, etc.). This takes some time, and it is essential that students are respectful of others while patrolling.

4. REPORT: Each Patrol should complete a report. It can be the sample provided on page 28 or a one created tailored to your school. Turn in four reports to earn the maximum 1 point for the Water Stage. The report allows your students to track

water saving measures by room. You can use these reports over time to see if there are rooms that consistently need corrections and should receive more training or if there are rooms that are consistently practicing water saving behavior and deserve a note of appreciation!

You can conduct Water Patrols, Energy Patrols and/or a Recycling Patrols (see earlier toolkit entries for details on Energy and Recycling Patrols). Schools without a single-stream recycling program can still conduct recycling patrols as long as they have a program in place to at least recycle one type of material, such as paper, water bottles, or electronics. There is a section in both patrols to report other observations and suggestions to improve your school’s sustainability.

FOR ALL SUSTAINABILITY PATROLS

1. INFORM teachers and staff that students will be on patrol. An announcement and possibly a quarter sheet in their mailbox would be a nice courtesy.

2. TURN OFF any sources of energy or water waste – lights, computers, other appliances, running faucets, etc. If there is the potential that turning something off will cause harm (e.g. a teacher’s computer), please leave a note that you noticed an opportunity to save energy, but do not turn off computer or appliance.

3. RECORD the items that are provided on the Patrol Reports – clipboards can be very useful.

4. COMPLETE four Patrols reports to earn one GGC point.5. SUSTAIN YOUR PATROLS. Set a regular time each week or day to do patrols.

Report your patrol results to the school or create a poster to track the number of teachers that are practicing environmental stewardship. Your AmeriCorps Green School Coordinators have door hangers, certificates, and suggestions for numerous activities like creating a PSA that can make your patrols fun, interesting, and effective throughout the whole school year.

EVIDENCE

To earn one point for Sustainability Patrols, you must submit one (1) Sustainability Patrol Reports (a total of four (4) sustainability patrols) via Credly.

CREDLY CODE

Use this code to claim your credit on Credly: GGCPatrols

Sustainability Patrol Report – Water4 reports = 1 point (Max of 1 point)

School Name: __________________________________________________________________________

Student Name(s): _____________________________________________________________________

Date of Patrol:_________________________________________________________________________

Instructions: Conduct sustainability patrols as often as possible. Submit at least four Sustainability Patrol Reports (any combination of water, energy or recycling) to earn one point.

OBSERVATIONS: Report other observations and ideas for improvement below:

ACTIONROOM # ROOM # ROOM # ROOM # ROOM #

TOTAL

SAMPLE: Turn off running faucets I II I I II 7

Saw a leak (report leaks to

building engineers)

Turn off running faucet

Heard a fixture running (report

running fixtures to

building Other action 1:

________________

Other action 2:

Stage 4 – GGC Innovation Project

My Green School Art Contest - 1 Pt

OVERVIEW

The DPSCD Go Green Challenge is excited to present an innovation opportunity point for K-5 students – the USGBC Detroit’s My Green School Art Contest! Administered by our partners at the Detroit Regional Chapter of the United States Green Building Council, this is an opportunity for our students creatively express their work and potentially earn regional recognition!

PROCEDURE

This is a great opportunity to get the whole school involved! DPSCD Go Green Challenge schools which have facilitated school wide art contests have solicited submissions from each student or classroom; involved students and the Principal in judging; creating themes within the contest for each grade or classroom; displayed entrees in visible locations throughout the school; involved the art or other creative teachers in the ground level of the planning; and had lots of fun!

1) Create art for submission to the My Green School Art Contest

2) Submit entrees to both the Detroit Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council AND DPSCD Go Green! Mail your entrees to the U.S. Green Building Council, Detroit Chapter at:

USGBC-Detroit 461 Burroughs Street Detroit MI, 48202

Or submit entrees electronically by visiting: bit.ly/Mygreenschoolart

Instructions for submissions and the official flyer for the contest are below – send photos of your entrees or mail them to Detroit Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council

CRITERIA

Do not include the studentʼs or schoolʼs name within the artwork. Use paper or cardstock up to 12 x 18 Any medium can be used: paint, crayons, pencil, collage, photos, stencils,

etc. We encourage the use of recycled paper Please no glitter, copyright, or trademark images Do not include matting or framing with submission Concept: does it communicate a green theme or message? Creativity: is the art original

and unique? Quality: is there effective use of materials?

EVIDENCE

To earn this point, you must submit the Innovation Project Submission Form along with two (2) photos via Credly.

CREDLY CODE:

Use this code to claim your credit on Credly: GGCInnovation

Stage 4 – GGC Innovation Project

Water Use and Saving at Home Activity - 1 Pt

OVERVIEW:

Using less water at home is important in order to help us not only save money, but to reduce the amount of stress placed on Detroit’s aging water infrastructure and the amount of contaminated water that is sent to the Detroit river during heavy rains.

The best place to start when it comes to saving water is by knowing how much you and your family uses on an average day! Work with your household to fill in the chart below and see what your daily water usage is. Then talk with the members in your household about what you could do to use less water at home! Turn in your worksheet to your Sustainability Coordinator. You should have at least 5 completed charts to earn an Innovation Point!

This activity is adapted from the Sierra Club Home Water Audit guide. A full activity guide can be found here.

PROCEDURE:

1. Take home the Water Use Chart and complete it with the members in your household.

2. Make a plan to reduce water usage in your household based on the information you collect in your Water Use Chart!

3. Turn in your completed Water Use Chart to your Sustainability Coordinator. Your class should complete at least 5 charts in order to earn an Innovation Point on Credly!

EVIDENCE

To earn this point, you must submit the Innovation Project Submission Form along with two (2) photos via Credly.

CREDLY CODE:

Use this code to claim your credit on Credly: GGCInnovation

Water Use at Home Chart

ACTIVITY AVERAGE DAILY USE YOUR USE PER DAY

Drink/cook daily 2 gallons per person

Flush toilet ____ flushes x ____ gallons

Bath 40 gallons per bath

Shower ____ minutes x ____ gallons/min

Brushing teeth with water on ____ minutes x ____ gallons/min

Brushing teeth with water off .25 gallon

Washing machine use 45 gallons per load

Dishwasher use 10 gallons per load

Hand-wash dishes 10-15 gallons for 1 meal

Water lawn with sprinkler 140 gallons per hour

Other

Total

HOW MUCH DOES IT USE?Old toilet 3 to 5 gallons per flushNew toilet 1.6 gallons per flushOld or non-water saving showerhead 2.5 to 5 gallons per minuteWater saving showerhead 1.5 gallons per minuteOld or non-water saving faucet aerator 2.2 gallons per minuteWater saving faucet aerator 1.0 gallons per minute

Water Saving Suggestions

Concrete actions may be: Reduce shower time from 20 minutes to 10 minutes; Replace old 2.5 gallon per minute showerhead with 1.5 gallon per minute water saving showerhead; Switch 1 bath that uses 40 gallons with one 15 gallon shower (1.5 gallons per minute X 10 minutes) a week; Save 140 gallons by replacing lawn grass with native plants that do not need watering, etc.