NABERS Water: enhancing water efficiency in buildings

In today's world, where sustainability is at the forefront of building management, the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) plays a crucial role in assessing and improving the environmental performance of buildings. While NABERS covers various aspects of building performance, this article will focus on one of its key components: the NABERS Water rating.

For a comprehensive overview of NABERS and its different ratings, we recommend reading our article "Everything you ever wanted to know about NABERS rating". This piece will provide you with a solid foundation on the NABERS system as a whole.

Water efficiency in buildings is becoming increasingly important as we face global challenges related to water scarcity and climate change. To delve deeper into this topic, we recently hosted a webinar titled "Improving water efficiency in buildings to drive sustainability". This resource offers valuable insights into the importance of water management in the built environment.

Among the various NABERS ratings, the NABERS Water rating stands out as a critical tool for assessing and improving water efficiency in buildings. Let's explore this rating system in detail and understand how it can benefit your building's performance and sustainability efforts.

What is NABERS Water?

NABERS Water is a national rating system that measures the water efficiency of buildings. It provides a standardised way to assess how efficiently a building uses water compared to similar buildings in the same region.

How the rating system works

The NABERS Water rating is based on the actual water consumption of a building over a 12-month period. This data is then normalised for factors such as climate, hours of occupancy, and the number of occupants to ensure fair comparisons between different buildings.

Different rating levels and what they signify

NABERS Water ratings are given on a scale of 0 to 6 stars, with half-star increments:

• 0-2 Stars: Poor water efficiency, significant improvements needed.
• 3-4 Stars: Average water efficiency, opportunities for enhancement.
• 5 Stars: Good water efficiency, demonstrating effective water management practices.
• 6 Stars: Market-leading water efficiency, exemplifying best practices in water conservation.

A higher star rating indicates better water efficiency and lower water consumption relative to similar buildings.

Benefits of NABERS Water rating

Implementing a NABERS Water rating system in your building can bring numerous benefits across environmental, financial, and operational areas.

From an environmental perspective, reduced water consumption helps conserve this precious resource, leads to lower energy use associated with water heating and pumping, and decreases strain on local water infrastructure.

Financially, buildings with high NABERS Water ratings often see lower water bills due to reduced consumption and decreased operational costs related to water treatment and pumping. There's also potential for an increase in property value due to improved sustainability credentials.

In terms of building performance and marketability, a good NABERS Water rating can improve a property's reputation as sustainable and responsible. This can attract environmentally conscious tenants and buyers, and help meet government and corporate sustainability requirements.

Lastly, tenant satisfaction often improves with better water efficiency. This comes from better building amenities through efficient water fixtures, potentially lower utility costs for tenants in net lease arrangements, and alignment with tenants' own sustainability goals and CSR policies.

Steps to achieve a high NABERS Water rating

To improve your building's NABERS Water rating, consider the following steps:

1. Conduct a comprehensive water audit: Understand your current usage patterns and compare your building's water consumption to industry benchmarks.
2. Implement smart metering and monitoring: Install sub-meters, smart meters, or data loggers to better understand water consumption patterns across different areas of your building.
3. Focus on fixtures and fittings: Upgrade to water-efficient fixtures, especially in amenities. Consider innovative solutions like vacuum toilets, which can use up to 80% less water than conventional systems.
4. Optimise cooling towers: Ensure proper installation with good airflow and accessible inspection panels. Implement efficient operational strategies that balance water and energy consumption.
5. Improve landscaping practices: Specify indigenous and drought-tolerant plant species to reduce water requirements. Install sensor-activated irrigation systems instead of timer-based ones.
6. Enhance fire service systems: Install sufficient isolation valves to reduce water losses during maintenance.
7. Regular inspections and maintenance: Conduct routine site inspections and analyse trend data to identify and address leaks and inefficiencies promptly.
8. HVAC optimisation: Consider the impact on water consumption when implementing energy-saving strategies for HVAC systems.
9. Engage tenants: Work with tenants to promote water-efficient practices and consider water efficiency in lease structures.
10. Utilise technology: Implement building analytics platforms that can automate the identification and diagnosis of water-related issues, helping to detect leaks and high baseload consumption quickly.
11. Consider broader impacts: When planning upgrades or refurbishments, consider the impact on NABERS ratings and include indirect costs like sewage, energy, and water treatment in your business case planning.
12. Continuous improvement: After implementing changes, get another NABERS Water rating to measure improvements. Use this as a baseline for further enhancements.

As Karl Welsh from NABERS emphasised in our recent webinar, "What gets measured, gets managed." By following these steps and consistently monitoring your building's water usage, you can significantly improve your NABERS Water rating and drive sustainability in your building operations.

The role of technology in achieving high NABERS Water ratings

Advanced technology plays a crucial role in achieving and maintaining high NABERS Water ratings. Building management systems can analyse water usage patterns in real-time through smart meters and sensors, while building analytics, such as PEAK, can identify anomalies and optimisation opportunities.

Automated leak detection and response systems are another important technological advancement. These systems include sensors to detect leaks quickly and minimise water waste, implement automated shut-off valves for rapid response to major leaks, and use predictive maintenance algorithms to prevent equipment failures that could lead to water waste.

Case studies: Real-world water efficiency successes

To illustrate the practical impact of implementing water efficiency measures and using NABERS Water ratings, let's look at some real-world examples from various building types and scales. Two of these cases were shared in our recent webinar on improving water efficiency in buildings.

Queensland retail centre: Technology-driven leak detection

A large Queensland retail centre used the PEAK Platform to monitor water consumption and improve efficiency:

The platform detected abnormal water usage in a cinema tenant, consuming 60 times more water than usual overnight. Investigation revealed a faulty meter and a leak in the condenser water system. After fixing these issues, daily water costs for the cinema dropped from $333 to $72.65 - a 4.5 times reduction. This case demonstrates how technology-driven monitoring can identify hidden issues, leading to substantial water and cost savings.

Regional NSW office building: A Three-star improvement

In a webinar case study, Karl Welsh from NABERS shared an inspiring example from regional New South Wales:

A mid-sized office building initially achieved a 4.5-star energy rating but only a 2-star water rating in 2019. The building owners focused on improving water efficiency by upgrading fixtures and fittings and installing data loggers. After just 12 months, the building saw a 3-star improvement in its NABERS Water rating and a 70% reduction in water consumption.

GPT Group: Comprehensive water management

Dale O'Toole from GPT provided insights into their group-wide water efficiency efforts during our recent webinar:

GPT consumed approximately 1.25 billion litres of water across their portfolio in the last 12 months. They developed a comprehensive water master plan, integrating water efficiency measures across all stages of building life cycles. Their approach includes exploring innovative solutions like vacuum toilets, which use 80% less water than conventional systems. While specific numbers weren't provided, GPT's approach has led to reduced water-related costs, improved NABERS Water ratings across their portfolio, and increased resilience to water scarcity under climate change scenarios.

These real-world examples demonstrate the wide-ranging impact of water efficiency initiatives. From single buildings to large portfolios, significant improvements in water management and NABERS Water ratings are possible. By leveraging smart technologies, implementing targeted solutions, and adopting comprehensive strategies, organisations can achieve substantial water savings, reduce costs, and enhance their sustainability performance. The potential for improvement exists at every scale, proving that water efficiency is a valuable pursuit for all types of commercial buildings.

Future trends in water efficiency and NABERS Water

As we look to the future, several trends are likely to shape water efficiency practices and NABERS Water ratings:

• Emerging technologies: AI and machine learning for predictive water management, Internet of Things (IoT) devices for granular water consumption monitoring, and advanced water treatment and recycling technologies.
• Policy and regulatory changes: Stricter water efficiency standards, potential mandatory NABERS Water ratings for certain building types, and increased incentives for water-efficient buildings.
• Evolving industry practices: Growing integration of water efficiency with other sustainability metrics, increased emphasis on whole-of-life water management, and greater focus on resilience to water scarcity and climate change impacts.

Conclusion

NABERS Water rating is a powerful tool for driving water efficiency and sustainability in buildings. By providing a standardised measure of water performance, it enables building owners and managers to benchmark their properties, identify areas for improvement, and showcase their commitment to environmental stewardship.

As water resources become increasingly scarce and valuable, pursuing a high NABERS Water rating is not just an environmental imperative but also a smart business decision. The benefits extend beyond cost savings to include improved building performance, enhanced marketability, and increased tenant satisfaction.

We encourage all building owners and managers to consider pursuing or improving their NABERS Water rating. By doing so, you'll not only contribute to a more sustainable future but also position your property for success in an increasingly environmentally conscious market.

Ready to take the next step in improving your building's water efficiency and NABERS rating? 

Discover how PEAK by CIM can help you achieve these goals. Our advanced building analytics platform provides real-time insights into your water consumption, helps detect leaks early, and identifies optimisation opportunities.

Watch a quick demo of PEAK to see how it can transform your building's water management and drive sustainability efforts.