Everything you need to know about a water efficiency certificate

Published: July 12, 2021 Last Updated: October 13, 2022

What is a water efficiency certificate? Making sure your home is as water efficient as possible isn't only great for the environment, but it also helps reduce your water bill. Find out more about what's included in a water efficiency audit in this video.

Mick speaks to Fallon plumber Elijah about performing a water efficiency audit as well as the benefits of becoming a water-efficient home.

Everything you need to know about a water efficiency certificate - video transcript

[0:03] Mick

Elijah, you're going to make my home water efficient.

[0:06] Elijah

Yeah, that's right. So I'm just going to go around and conduct a water efficiency audit just to ensure that your home meets the minimum water efficiency standards.

[0:12] Mick

So if you do that would that help me reduce my water bill?

[0:16] Elijah

Yeah, that's right. And in the future, if you ever decide to rent your property out the water bill can be put in the tenant's name.

[0:25] Mick

Ok perfect. So what's actually involved in the audit?

[0:28] Elijah

So I'm just going to go around, inspect all your plumbing, update any tapware, and install flow restrictors where necessary.

[0:35] Mick

Well, that sounds easy. Let's go and do it.

[0:37] Elijah

Sounds good.

[0:38] Mick

So Elijah, what is the criteria of a water efficient home?

[0:41] Elijah

So all your internal cold water taps have to deliver a maximum of nine litres of water a minute, excluding your taps with your bathtubs and for your appliances. Also, all your toilets have to have a dual flush function on them with the full flush being six and a half litres and the half flush being three and a half litres.

[1:00] Mick

I didn't know that. So how do you measure water flow?

[1:02] Elijah

So we've got this little device here called a flow cup, which does what it says.

[1:07] Mick

Okay, it measures the water. Let's have a look at that exactly.

[1:13] Music

[1:17] Mick

So what does it look like?

[1:18] Elijah

So we've got eight litres of water which fulfils the criteria. Now we are going to go around and check all the taps in the house and make sure we're good.

[1:25] Mick

Beautiful, let's go and do it.

[1:29] Music

[1:33] Elijah

Alrighty, so I've gone around and checked all the taps in the house and there's no issues with the water flow so no need to install flow restrictors. We can check that one off.

[1:41] Mick

All right excellent. Okay, so what's the next step, the next check we're going to do?

[1:43] Elijah

So we are going to go around and check all your showerheads because just like the cold water taps they can only deliver a maximum of nine litres a minute.

[1:52] Mick

All right, let's come this way.

So how's it looking, mate?

[1:55] Elijah

Yeah, good. Eight litres so we don't need to restrict the flow whatsoever.

[2:00] Mick

Great, good news.

So there's still a couple of checks to be done isn't there?

[2:03] Elijah

Yeah, that's right. So we're just going to take the toilets now. Just make sure that they have the dual flush function and they've got the correct flush for you.

[2:11] Mick

Let's go and do that.

[2:14] Mick

How'd it all go?

[2:15] Elijah

Right, yeah. So great news, all the toilets in the house do have the dual flush function and they make the flush criteria.

[2:23] Mick

Great. And so we've got one more check and then we're nearly done with the water efficiency audit.

[2:25] Elijah

Yeah, that's right. So we're just going to go to the front and check the water meter readings and just write that number down.

[2:31] Mick

Perfect, let's do that.

[2:36] Music

[2:40] Elijah

All right so that's all filled out for you. So I'm just going to email out a copy of the Water Efficiency Certificate for you just to keep in your records and in the future if you ever do decide to rent the place out you can bill your tenants.

[2:51] Mick

Okay, and I'm going to I need that to do that.

[2:53] Elijah

Yeah

[2:54] Mick

Okay mate, really appreciate it, it's fantastic.

[2:55] Elijah

Awesome thanks Mick thanks.