Students gathered to offer a hearty thanks to Kimbalee Clews from energy infrastructure company ATCO when she visited the school on Wednesday to have a look at the completed stations.

St Phil's received $5000 from ATCO, through its 2022 Communities Fund, for the filtered water stations. As well, ATCO has provided a drink bottle for each student.

Ms Clews, who is ATCO's communications and engagement manager, said the company, which is proposing a pumped hydro project at Yetholme, considers it extremely important to be involved with the community.

She said the Communities Fund has four focuses - Indigenous communities, community sustainability, health and wellbeing, and education - and the water stations and water bottles fit in neatly with all four.

She said there was an education and health aspect to the students drinking water, a sustainable aspect to students using water bottles rather than disposable plastic bottles and an Indigenous communities aspect to the artwork used on the water stations.

"So it's a really lovely link to everything that we hold valuable," she said.

Ms Clews said applications for the next round of the Communities Fund will open later in the year.

"Community groups and not-for-profit charity organisations can apply for up to $10,000 to put towards a program that fits with those focuses," she said.

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St Phil's principal Jaydem Hadson said the school was very thankful for the funding.

He said the school had learnt a few things about "shared spaces" post-COVID (the water stations will allow students to get a drink without the same interaction they would have at the bubblers) and there was a sustainability lesson for students as well.

The water stations have been designed in consultation with the school's Aboriginal liaison officer and feature an artwork painted by local Wiradyuri artist Luke Penrith.

Mr Hadson said students at the school are also working on raising funds to help a village in East Timor where residents have to walk six kilometres each day, including uphill, to access clean drinking water.

Bins around the school are being used to collect recyclable cans and bottles from the canteen, which will then be exchanged for money through the NSW Government's Return and Earn scheme.

That money will contribute to a project to have water piped and pumped to a tank in the East Timor village.

Mr Hadson said the water station project was completed thanks to Ms Clews and Kathleen Wotton at St Phil's.

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