National Water Week Poster Competition

Poster competition

Theme

This year’s poster competition theme is - ‘Water Heroes: Make Every Drop Count’

Key dates

Entries close: 5pm, Friday 11 September 2026
Winners will be announced during National Water Week, 19 - 25 October 2026

Entry conditions

Poster size must be A4 or A3
Any medium, from paper to digital, can be used
Any art material and digital technology can be used, including paint, textas, crayons, coloured pencils, collage materials, original photographs and digital graphics
Image files should be in .JPG, .PDF or .PNG formats
Uploaded files are limited to 20MB
For primary and secondary school aged children, group artwork will NOT be accepted (only one child per artwork)
For early learning/kindergarten both individual entries and collaborative entries will be accepted
Each child/student/collaborative group can only enter once

Originality requirement

All entries must be the original work of the child/student(s)
Artwork created wholly or partially using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will not be accepted
Minor editing (e.g. scanning or cropping) is permitted
By submitting an entry, participants confirm the work is their own

Tips for uploading a poster

Please ensure you enter the correct competition category using your centre or school's postcode
Please ensure only high resolution, high quality images are submitted
Image files should be in .JPG, .PDF or .PNG formats
Uploaded files are limited to 20MB
Original posters can either be scanned or photographed
Remember if taking a photo, please ensure a clear, non-blurred image is taken. Keep these tips in mind:
- ensure good lighting to avoid shadows
- make sure the poster fills the entire screen - an overhead shot, taken directly above the poster, is often the best option
- ensure the photo matches the orientation of the poster – if the poster is in landscape format, take the photo horizontally. If it’s in portrait format, take the photo vertically
- avoid using flash, as it can cause glare
- if the photo is taken from a distance, crop the image so only the poster is visible (no background or surrounding surfaces)

Judging

Winners of the preschool and primary school categories will be chosen by:

How well the poster communicates the National Water Week theme, “Water Heroes: Make Every Drop Count,” and/or relevant water issues
Visual impact – how attractive the poster is from a distance
Effective use of art materials creativity and originality of imagery, design or concepts

Winners of the secondary school category will be chosen by:

Theme communication – clear and meaningful connection to the theme “Water Heroes: Make Every Drop Count.”
Visual impact – eye-catching, bold, and easy to understand from a distance
Technical skill – effective and purposeful use of art materials
Innovation – demonstrates fresh ideas, modern design approaches, or imaginative concepts
Creativity and originality – shows a distinctive personal voice and moves beyond predictable or copied ideas
Accuracy of information – any facts, statistics, or messages presented are correct, appropriate, and relevant to water issues

Eligibility

Entries must be the original work of the child/student(s)
AI-generated artwork will not be accepted

Prizes

Early learning / Kindergarten

Prizes (individual and collaborative entries accepted)

1st (both individual and collaborative) - a water, sustainability or culture-themed book, an art gift set, a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise
2nd (both individual and collaborative) - an art gift set, a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise
3rd (both individual and collaborative) - a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise

Primary School

Prizes for each category (individual entries ONLY accepted)

1st - a water, sustainability or culture-themed book, an art gift set, a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise
2nd – an art gift set, a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise
3rd - a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise

Secondary School

Prizes for Year 7-8 category (individual entries ONLY accepted)

1st - a water, sustainability or culture-themed book, an art gift set, a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise
2nd – an art gift set, a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise
3rd - a framed copy of your incredible poster and some awesome Coliban Water merchandise

All participating schools will be included in a random draw for a chance to win a $250 gift pack filled with various educational materials. In addition, the winning school will have the exciting opportunity to feature in the 2027 National Water Week promotional video.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact:

Contact: Katherine Meerman
Email: communications@coliban.com.au
Contact: 1300 363 200

About Coliban Water

We're in the business of providing safe drinking water and waste water services for public health, but there's so much more that we do.

While the services we provide underpin our region, a lot of what we do at Coliban Water is not highly visible. Every time a tap is turned on or a toilet flushed, you can rest assured we're hard at work.

Our water treatment facilities run 24/7 and our extensive network of pipes run underneath the 49 towns we serve. We manage nearly $2 billion in assets across central and northern Victoria.

We're here to support our customers, and enhance the environment in which we work.