Water Watchers Hawai'i
A Hands-On Water Stewardship Program
Water Watchers Hawaiʻi is a hands-on environmental stewardship program that empowers students to become freshwater guardians through science education, water-use awareness, and meaningful conservation action.
The program supports the State’s Fresh Water Initiative goals by fostering changes in freshwater consumption behaviors at both the student and community levels.
Program Components
1. Freshwater Education
Students learn how freshwater reaches Hawaiʻi—from rainfall and atmospheric processes to aquifer recharge and delivery to homes and schools. The curriculum also explores where water goes after use, including groundwater and surface water systems. A key emphasis is placed on real-world data, including current water usage, rainfall patterns, groundwater status, and future projections. Many students are surprised to learn that they have not previously understood how freshwater reaches their taps.
2. Freshwater Use Awareness
Students conduct campus-wide and/or personal water audits to examine how water is used in their environment. Working alongside teachers, custodians, and environmental professionals, they collect and analyze data to calculate water consumption and identify opportunities for conservation. Students then develop practical guidelines to reduce water waste.
3. Freshwater Conservation Initiative
Students design and implement actionable conservation projects that address water use in their school or home communities. These may include initiatives such as reducing water consumption behaviors, improving efficiency practices, or supporting ecosystem-based solutions such as tree planting projects that enhance groundwater recharge.
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Why This Program Matters
Water Watchers Hawaiʻi provides students with authentic, real-world experience in scientific observation, collaboration, problem-solving, and environmental stewardship. Beyond classroom learning, it fosters lasting behavioral change and creates meaningful, long-term impacts on school campuses and local communities.
State of Hawaii 2030 Freshwater Goal:
Increase freshwater capacity by 100 million gallons per day
Reduce per person use by 30 gallons of water a day (164 to 130 gallons)
Did you know?
Washing your hands with the water running uses about 4 gallons, yet turning the water off saves 3 gallons. If all 94,000+ students enrolled in public and charter schools on O’ahu turned off the water just once, almost 103,000,000 gallons of water could be saved a year. Imagine if this message was shared and followed by many aunties, uncles, and others along with reduction in other water uses (e.g., showering, dish washing, yard care).
The Department of Education (DOE) lands in the top 25 greatest water users on the island of O’ahu Civil Beat using BWS data). According to the Board of Water Supply (BWS), the DOE’s monthly water use average has been 63,142,454 gallons over the past eight years for O’ahu.
This program was developed and launched with funding from Hawaii Community Foundation Freshwater Initiative.
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