Armoy pupils shocked to learn only 1% of Earth’s water is safe to drink

Pupils from Armoy Primary School

Children at Armoy Primary School have been learning a startling lesson about one of the world’s most essential resources after discovering that just 1% of the planet’s water is drinkable.

The eye-opening fact formed part of a visit by NI Water’s education team, which delivered a series of interactive sessions focused on water conservation and the importance of using water responsibly.

Pupils took part in games, practical demonstrations and activities designed to show how precious clean drinking water really is — and why future generations will play a critical role in protecting it.

Hands-on lessons in saving water

The main focus of the visit was encouraging children to think differently about everyday water use at home and in school.

During the programme, pupils were introduced to H20, NI Water’s water drop mascot, which helped explain how water is cleaned and supplied to homes across Northern Ireland.

Through presentations and practical demonstrations, the children learned how much water can easily be wasted through simple habits such as leaving taps running or taking long showers.

At the end of the session, every pupil completed a “water drop pledge”, promising one action they would take to help save water in future.

NI Water says education is key to future conservation

Anna Killen, NI Water’s education officer, said educating young people about water conservation remains a major priority for the organisation.

She said:

“NI Water places great importance on educating young people in the vital role water plays in our lives.

“We are delighted with the positive feedback we have received from schools who have participated in our H20 programme. It’s a fantastic way for us to work within the local community and educate future generations of water users.”

The programme is aimed at Key Stage 2 pupils and has been designed to support a key part of the Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum known as ‘The World Around Us’.

Simple habits that can save thousands of litres

As part of the visit, NI Water also shared its top ten water-saving tips with pupils — many of which families can easily introduce at home.

The advice included:

• Turning off the tap while brushing teeth, as a running tap can use six litres of water every minute.

• Taking four-minute showers instead of longer showers or baths, with a single bath using up to 100 litres of water.

• Avoiding sprinklers on lawns, which can use as much as 1,000 litres of drinking water in one hour.

• Fixing dripping taps, which can waste more than 60 litres of water every week.

• Running washing machines only with full loads to reduce both water and energy use.

• Keeping drinking water chilled in the fridge instead of running taps until water turns cold.

Children were also encouraged to use bowls when washing vegetables, reuse water for plants where possible, and wash cars using a bucket and sponge instead of a running hose.

Why the message matters locally

The visit comes as water conservation continues to become an increasingly important issue for households across Northern Ireland amid growing pressure on public utilities, rising energy costs and concerns around long-term sustainability.

By targeting younger generations, NI Water hopes simple everyday habits learned in the classroom can help reduce waste at home and encourage more responsible use of clean drinking water across local communities.

Teachers and schools interested in the programme can download classroom activities and additional educational resources from NI Water at:

www.niwater.com/education

The initiative is part of NI Water’s wider effort to encourage environmental awareness among young people while helping pupils better understand the hidden journey behind every drop of clean water arriving at their taps.