Advice for local government
Local councils are often the first port of call for residents seeking advice on reducing their domestic water consumption or looking for information about rebates on water efficient products.
Councils also provide and maintain public facilities which use water, in particular toilets and taps. The following information may assist you with your work.
What is WELS
The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme was established as a cooperative Commonwealth/state and territory regulatory system to help reduce domestic water consumption.
It came into force in January 2006 and replaced the previous voluntary AAAAA water rating scheme.
Under the WELS Scheme, product suppliers are required to label clothes washers, dishwashers, showers, taps, toilets, urinals and flow controllers with water efficiency information and star-ratings to enable consumers to choose the most water efficient product for their needs.
Selecting water efficient products
The WELS rated products are the heaviest users of domestic water, so choosing high star rating products will not only save water, but money as well. To help with this decision, you can search the WELS product database and compare star ratings and water efficiency information for more than 9600 WELS rated product models.
What does the WELS label mean?
The WELS water rating label provides water efficiency information for water-using household products. It is similar in appearance to the energy rating label (which clothes washers and dishwashers must also carry).
The label carries two important pieces of information to help the consumer to compare products – stars and water consumption or water flow figures – the more stars the better and the lower the number the better!
The label shows:
- a star rating for a quick assessment of the model's water efficiency – the more stars on the label the more water efficient the product and
- a figure showing water usage (ie. litres per kilogram of clothes washed).
WELS and WaterMark
What’s the difference? In a nutshell:
- WaterMark confirms the product complies with the requirements of the Plumbing Code of Australia and is fit for purpose for installation under that Code.
- The WELS label relates only to the water efficiency of the product.
WELS products must carry a WELS label, but may not necessarily have the WaterMark.
If you are buying a WELS labelled product and it does not carry the WaterMark, you should check with your local water authority, or ask your plumber, whether it can be legally installed. The following more detailed information clarifies the differences.
WELS is a joint Commonwealth, state and territory government regulatory scheme, underpinned by product testing to Australian Standards. WELS products must carry a WELS label showing the water efficiency star rating and the water consumption or flow of the product.
For plumbing, WELS products are taps, showers, toilets, urinals and some flow controllers. Some of these plumbing products will also carry a label called WaterMark.
WaterMark is a product quality certification mark provided by independent certifying authorities. It confirms that the product complies with the requirements of the Plumbing Code of Australia and the specifications listed in relevant Australian Standards. These relate to the quality of the product, including aspects of health and safety, and warrant that it is fit for purpose.
WaterMark certification is mandatory for products to be legally installed in accordance with state and territory plumbing regulations. Those products required to be certified are listed in the Plumbing Code of Australia and AS5200.000.
The WaterMark logo, the relevant product Standard and License Number are required to be marked on the product itself.
WaterMark is not required for a product to be legally sold in Australia, but may be required under state and territory legislation for installation.
Are you offering rebates?
If you are offering your ratepayers rebates on their purchases of water efficient products, then using the WELS rating in your criteria will provide you with a simple and recognised water efficiency benchmark for potential applicants.
A number of existing rebate schemes already use a three or four star WELS rating as a minimum standard for rebate applications (see SA Water’s H20ME rebate ).
If you would like to provide further information on the WELS water efficiency rating to your ratepayers, you can:
- download the WELS information brochure or
- refer them to the WELS website at www.waterrating.gov.au.
Are you offering retrofitting or water efficiency auditing services?
Some local governments, water authorities and state governments are offering to audit and retrofit selected households with water efficient products such as showerheads, taps and flow controllers.
In selecting products to replace inefficient domestic items, a three or four-star WELS rating should be your minimum standard in order to save more water. All WELS products—clothes washers, dishwashers, showers, taps, toilets, urinals and flow controllers—are required by law to carry a WELS rating.
For these products to be registered and rated they must undergo rigorous testing at accredited laboratories.
Improving your council’s water efficiency
Public facilities which provide toilets, urinals, showers and taps can draw substantially on local water reserves.
Replacing inefficient and potentially leaking fixtures can make a significant difference to your financial and environmental balance sheet.
When buying new products remember the more stars the more water efficient the product. The WELS label will also tell you the product’s water consumption or water flow rate.
For more information about WELS see Frequently Asked Questions.
How much water are you saving?
You can calculate how much water you are saving if you know the WELS rating of the products you have installed. WELS products are labelled with water consumption or water flow figures.
Top 10 tips
- Audit – look at your current water consumption, particularly through public facilities such as amenities blocks, recreation facilities, childcare centres and administration buildings. Identify if and where savings can be made.
- Research – before you choose a product, check its star rating and performance by going to the WELS product database . If you are relying on your contractor for advice, check first that they understand the WELS ratings and requirements.
- Retrofit – replace leaking taps, old single flush toilets, inefficient shower heads with WELS rated products (the more stars the better!)
- Record – keep records of any WELS product you install to enable you to calculate water savings over time.
- Monitor – check water usage after installation of products and compare with pre-installation figures.
- Publicise – let the community know what you are doing to safeguard the environment.
- Influence – set an example in your community and consider educating and regulating.
- Advise – put a domestic water-saving tips page on your council’s website – for domestic water savings link to www.waterrating.gov.au.
- Inspire – provide case studies of local best practice in water efficiency to inspire others to do the same.
- Explore – look at what other councils are doing ie showerhead exchange program, household water efficiency audits etc. Is there anything more you can do?
What else can local governments do?
To find out more about water initiatives for local government, go to ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Water Campaign . ICLEI is an international association of local governments and associated organisations that have made a commitment to sustainable development. ICLEI’s Water Campaign aims to build the capacity of local government to reduce water consumption and improve local water quality.
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