The Raanana Municipality has installed a rainwater collection system at two of its elementary schools, in order to conserve water and make optimal use of the rainwater, most of which runs off to the sea without being utilized.

The system was installed and is successfully operated at the Hayovel and Yachdav Schools and installation of a similar system is planned for the Ostrovsky High School.

This system, designed by Mr. Amir Yehieli, collects rainwater from the school’s roof in collection tanks, and from there the water goes directly into the toilet tanks in the school’s restrooms.  In each of the schools, there are 8 tanks for the collection of 2,000 (!) liters of rainwater in each tank.

One night at the beginning of December, Hayovel collected 16,000 liters of water!

The system enables a significant savings in water consumption and acts as an additional step in the extensive activity run by the city’s educational institutions, starting at an early age, in order instill values of environmental protection and proper, green behavior that is considerate of the environment.

This activity is another facet of the municipal vision, designed to improve the state of the climate and to protect our precious natural resources.  Alongside the extensive municipal endeavor in the fields of sustainability, the Raanana Municipality is constantly working to expand its circle of partners (students and adults) and to encourage them to adopt proper behavior that is responsible and considerate of their surroundings.

Raanana is one of Israel’s pioneer cities in the field of environmental activity and is proud to be the first city in Israel to recycle DVDs and CDs, plastic bags, and expired medications.  It has installed special blue garbage cans for recycling paper of all kinds, in the city’s apartment buildings, in cooperation with the Amnir Company.

Last month, the municipality inaugurated its Green Ring Project– the first of its kind – to create a green ring of trees to surround the entire city.  Stage one is underway and 150 trees, which require very little watering, have been planted in the northern section of the city in the Hi-tech park.

Mayor Nahum Hofree:  “The municipal education system encourages its children to take part in green leadership and promotes environmental education among the city’s students in order to instill values of responsibility, caring and social involvement, both at school and in the community, through extensive activity on issues of environmental protection.”