Waterwise Building Program
Our Waterwise Building Program acknowledges the efforts of building owners and their ongoing commitment to water efficiency, to achieve a significant improvement in water use.
This free program provides a benchmark for water efficiency in businesses further demonstrating the achievements they have made in sustainable water management.
Case studies show that benchmarking water use and planning for improvement can reduce operating costs, including sewer volume charges and the costs associated with heating, pumping and treating water.
Program benefits
How to become a waterwise building
To be eligible to participate in the program, a building must have a NABERS office water rating (applies to buildings >2,000 square metres). Program parameters will be annually reviewed by the program administrators and may be expanded without notice.
Each year we review endorsement applications to categorise customers against the eligibility criteria and advise recognition levels. Customers eligible for Gold recognition will be notified once their application is verified.
Gold waterwise buildings will be invited to submit an application for recognition as Platinum Waterwise Building of the Year.
Recognition categories
| Recognition level | Water cooled benchmark | NABERs water rating | Other cooled benchmark* | NABERS water rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsed (industry baseline) | 0.61 – 0.75 | 3.5 – 4.0 | 0.48 – 0.61 | 4.0 – 4.5 |
| Gold** |
< 0.61 + certification or criteria |
4.0 > | < 0.48 | 4.5 > |
| Platinum** | Must meet relevant Gold criteria above, plus nominate to be considered for Platinum Waterwise Building of the Year. | |||
*Other cooled can include natural ventilation, hydronic, ground loop, geo-thermal and central system.
**To be eligible to receive Gold or Platinum levels of recognition a current NABERS water rating is required. This allows us to independently validate the results of high performing buildings before they are recognised.
Water use performance
To calculate your water use performance, divide your annual water use (based on reading year – contact us if you need the data) by your NLA. This gives your water use performance in kilolitres per square meter per year.
Tip: Use your submeter data to subtract water use from other facilities, such as food or retail outlets, in your calculations.
