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Toilet Heroes

2011 Greeley, Colorado, USA
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Alyson Foust, Jesse Freeman and Levi Trevino from Greeley Central High decided to become “toilet heroes” to help their school become more environmentally friendly.

Central high school contributes to the misuse of water. Approximately 1,500 students and staff use the restrooms each at the school. With each flush draining 3.5 gallons, about 5, 250 gallons are flushed each day. Each month students are in school – approximately 22 days each month – 115,500 gallons are flushed. 1,155,000 gallons are flushed each school year (10 months).

This implementation is able to have a large impact on the Cache la Poudre watershed. With the help of the Greeley Schools Facilities Department, who actually did the plumbing and the students’ mentor, Ruth Quade, who guided them through the rebate process with the City of the Greeley, the students’ replaced ALL the toilets in the school to low flow toilets.

This project was able to change 41 toilets in the school to water saving low-flow toilets. The newly installed toilets will act as a pilot to converting toilets into low flow toilets throughout the districts 30. This would have a dramatic, positive, impact on the local watershed of Cache la Poudre. The project was completed in August of 2011. The students are especially grateful to Nutrien for sponsoring the Caring for our Watershed contest in Colorado and the $1,000 used to implement our Toilet Heroes Project at Greeley Central High School.

“Our goal is to save water to further help sustain our watershed.” -Alyson Foust.

Renewable Energy iconInnovation and Infrastructure icon

Solar Panels on Camrose Composite High School

2007 Camrose, Alberta, Canada

Students Rob Grant, Emma Marentette, Heidi Johnson, Epiphany Spielman, and Morag MacMillan entered the Caring for our Watersheds contest from the Camrose Composite High School group Students for Environmental and Social Advocacy. With support from the school faculty and administration, as well as the Battle River Watershed Alliance Watershed Ambassador these students were able to turn their dreams into reality.

The dream was “Project Sustain”- a dream to have solar panels collecting the sun’s rays to supplement the non-renewable energy used by the school.

The group believed that solar energy is clean, emission free and does not require water from the Battle River to produce power. “We wanted to inspire other students at Camrose by showing that a “green” power source could make a big difference at the school” said Rob, the student coordinator of the project.

After winning 1st place in the senior high contest, the students used the $1000 award as well as money contributed from the school to purchase solar panels placed on the east side of the school’s gym wall. Since the contest the students collected more community contributions and installed close to $20,000 worth of solar collectors on the school’s roof.

“The students at Camrose continue to amaze me daily- their ideas inspire the school and the people of Camrose,” said Jim Ofrim, principal of Camrose Composite High School.