By Maddy Vitale
A group of students have taken their desire to help the environment to the next level; they are creating positive change in their schools and in the community.
The Ocean City High School Water Champions with Michael Pomatto’s AP Environmental Science at the helm, spent the entire year working closely with their teacher, and the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The students researched technological and behavioral water usage habits in their homes, their schools and local businesses. They audited their own homes to determine how much water was used and conducted audits at the schools and a couple of local businesses. Most importantly, they reported what could be done to conserve one of nature’s most precious resources by replacing fixtures with more energy efficient ones for sinks, showers and toilets.
“Ocean City is on the frontlines of environmental issues, resulting from climate change. The Ocean City High School Water Champions are working hard to raise awareness about water conservation, not only in their school district, but also the entire island,” Pomatto said.
The students presented the Ocean City Board of Education with their findings at a meeting Wednesday night. During their presentation, Water Champions Melissa Kampf, Grant Nuss and Lauren Farschon, took turns explaining the water conservation project.
The students detailed how replacing all the fixtures in the Intermediate School with more energy efficient ones, could result in saving 435,780 gallons of water a year. The students also went to two businesses interested in participating in the study. One establishment was a hotel. The students found that the hotel could save nearly 394,212 gallons of water a year, with efficient fixtures.
“There was amazing collaboration and support by the community and school administration that helped make this program very successful,” Pomatto said, adding that seeing the students go out into the community and work so hard was wonderful to see.
Several School Board members remarked that they were very impressed by the presentation and asked questions about the fixtures and the water usage.
The Water Champions program is funded by a federal Environmental Protection Agency grant. There are grants available to replace the less efficient fixtures with ones that are recommended for water conservation.
Kampf, who just graduated from Ocean City High School, said being a member of the Water Champions was an “incredible experience.”
“It allowed me to better understand local water usage and work with professionals from the DEP, EPA and Littoral Society, while having the opportunity to explore and improve local businesses’ water usage,” she said in a phone conversation Thursday.
Five students participated in the Water Champions this year. Four of them graduated this year leaving Grant Nuss, a junior, to continue all of the hard work he and fellow champs worked on throughout the year.
“Grant Nuss will carry the torch into next year to keep this program going,” Pomatto said Thursday.
Nuss said there are many reasons why he believes in the Water Champions.
“It shows the community how to save water, so it will protect the water supply for the future and it will increase awareness to local businesses about water usage and how to conserve,” Nuss said.
The Water Champions Program has been in existence for about 10 years.
In addition to Ocean City High School, Lower Cape May Regional High School has a Water Champions program. Next year, Wildwood High School will join them.
Elizabeth Law, a representative from the DEP attended the board meeting and told the board that she was so proud of the members of the Ocean City High School Water Champs and said they are excellent stewards of the environment.
On Thursday, Law said they worked so hard and did some really great things during their yearlong project.
“They aren’t afraid to go out into the community,” Law said, adding that success was also based on the students’ relationships with the businesses and the community. “They are gaining a lot of the scientific skills at a young age.”
Law said throughout the year, the DEP including herself, would visit the Water Champions during their lunch period, along with Pomatto. The students would be educated on water conservation and they would go over the intricacies of the water audits.
The students would first conduct a water audit in their home. Then they would do water audits in their schools and go out to businesses.
“It is a nice way for the students to work with the community,” Law said.
Zach Nickerson, of the American Littoral Society, who also worked with the Water Champs, said, “We are very proud of our water champs this year and hope that the work they did at their school and in the community will inspire others in Ocean City to be wise stewards of our water resources.”
For more information about water conservation visit www.state.nj.us/dep.
