Salt River High is Turning Raindrops into Conservation and Community Resilience

Robyne O'Callaghan and Devaksha Maharaj of Unnati Training Academy with Salt River High School principal Dave Nichols at the school's nursery. Photo Credit: City of Cape Town

Salt River High is showing us all how teamwork and a few rainwater tanks can transform harvested drops into a thriving food garden and reduce reliance on municipal water.

Cape Town, South Africa (06 October 2026) – We’ve all heard the call to save water. Most of us try to do our bit every day, whether it’s turning off the tap while brushing our teeth, keeping showers short or fitting low-flow nozzles at home.

At Salt River High School, however, saving water is more than a habit; it has become a way of life, and we could all learn a thing or two about how learners and staff are turning environmental education into everyday action.

Through a partnership supported by the City of Cape Town, Unnati Training Academy NPC joined forces with Salt River High from February to June 2026. Together, they launched a practical water conservation project as part of a wider community clean-up and eco-awareness drive across the Lower Salt River catchment area.

At the heart of the project was a plan to make better use of the school’s existing rainwater harvesting infrastructure while strengthening awareness of sustainable water use among learners and the surrounding community.

The previously unused JoJo tanks were integrated into a functional rainwater harvesting system to support irrigation of the school’s nursery and food garden.

After identifying unused JoJo water storage tanks already on the school grounds, the Academy incorporated them into a functional rainwater harvesting system for the school’s nursery and climate-smart food garden. This has allowed the school to make greater use of harvested rainwater and reduce its reliance on municipal water for irrigation.

In doing so, the school initiative connected water conservation with food production, environmental education and climate resilience, showing how practical water-saving measures can become part of everyday school life.

The project’s wider environmental component also highlighted the importance of protecting the waterways within the local catchment. During a community clean-up in June, more than 400 bags of waste were removed from the Black River, while learners joined discussions on how to strengthen and sustain river restoration efforts.

“This project allowed us to move beyond awareness and demonstrate water stewardship in practice,” said Devaksha Maharaj of Unnati Training Academy NPC.

“By connecting rainwater harvesting with food production, learner participation and environmental action, we have shown how schools can become practical hubs for climate resilience. We are grateful to the City of Cape Town for supporting locally driven solutions that can create lasting impact.”
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Alderman Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, added that being water-wise was not only about saving water at home. Schools, businesses, organisations and community institutions all have a role to play in using water responsibly and finding practical ways to reduce their reliance on municipal water where possible.

The project at Salt River High has shown that environmental and water conservation action does not always begin with grand gestures; sometimes, it starts with recognising the resources already within reach and giving young people the knowledge and opportunity to use them wisely.