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) - $100 gift card
2nd (both individual and collaborative) - $50 gift card
3rd (both individual and collaborative) - $25 gift card

Primary School

Prizes for each category (individual entries ONLY accepted)

1st - $100 gift card
2nd - $50 gift card
3rd - $25 gift card

Secondary School

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

1st - $100 gift card
2nd - $50 gift card
3rd - $25 gift card

All participating schools will be entered into a random draw to win a $500 gift card towards a sustainability project at their school.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact:

Contact: Anita McKenzie
Email: education@sew.com.au
Contact: (03) 9552 3225

About South East Water

At South East Water, we’re driven by a purpose to deliver healthy water for life for our customers, community and environment. We support healthy and liveable communities by delivering water, sewerage and recycled water services to 1.8 million people every day and every night in Melbourne’s south-east. We deliver these services from Port Melbourne to Portsea, and some 30 kilometres past Pakenham.

Ours is one of the most diverse catchment areas in Australia – from those who are new to our region to the Traditional Owners of the land and water we rely on.

To help create a better world for our customers, we’re always thinking and acting ahead to ensure we can always support our customers with reliable and affordable water services. Because we believe that water is essential for life and that everyone deserves access both now and in the future.