Here's an industry plumbing trick which can save you thousands, leaving you more money for important things like beer, chocolate and fishing trips... Think of it as your personal "Wishing WELS" (pun intended).
What is WELS?
WELS stands for Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme. The water efficiency labelling scheme began in Australia in 2006 and has a range of products for water efficiency, saving water and money.
Passing the buck
In Queensland, tenants can be made responsible for water consumption at the property they’re renting. There are a number of guidelines around this however, such as:
The property must be individually metered
The rental property must be “water efficient”
The tenancy agreement must state that the tenant needs to pay for water consumption
For the property to be deemed “water efficient” the lessor/agent must be able to demonstrate the presence of water efficient devices, such as providing copies of:
WELS plumbing certification (that's where we come in handy)
receipts
packaging
warranties or instruction manuals for taps and showerheads, etc.
Pocket and planet savings
Not only do landlords benefit from WELS in their investment properties, but reap the benefits in their own homes too.
For example: A standard showerhead uses about 15 to 25 litres per minute. That’s at least 120L of water per average 4-8 minute shower. A water flow efficient model uses less than 72L, 40% less water. That would save you about 14,500 litres per household per year.
Toilets are also a common source of water loss. A toilet leak of two tablespoons per minute turns into 40 litres per day, 280 litres per week or 15,000 litres per year. By installing a 4.5 litre full flush / 3 litre half flush system (dual flush system) it will save you around 30,000 to 40,000 litres per year.
If you are an investment property owner, Newk's Plumbing Gympie can install the devices to ensure your property is water efficient and provide certification to say your investment property is WELS compliant.
For more information on WELS compliance, call Andrew on 0418 800 018.