Compare your business water use
Benchmarking can help you compare your water use to similar businesses to identify potential savings, improve your water efficiency and establish realistic water use reduction targets.
Learn how to work out your business’s water use benchmark to compare how you’re tracking..
Let’s work out your water use benchmark
- Calculate your last year’s total water use in kilolitres.
- Refer to your bills or log in to your online account to view your water use history.
- Remember 1000 litres = 1 kilolitre
Now confirm your business activity measure
Every business will use water differently depending on it’s activity. A business activity measure is used to establish your benchmark for water use.
Common business activity measures
| Business/ Industry Type | Business activity measure | Water use Benchmark indicator |
|---|---|---|
| Aged Care | Residents per day | L/resident/day |
| Aquatic Centre | Bather or patron numbers | L/bather L/patron |
| Caravan Park | Occupancy | L/occupant |
| Hospital | Patient bed days | L/patient bed day |
| Hotel / Motel | Guest night Occupancy |
L/guest night L/occupied room |
| Manufacturing | Product produced or processed | kL/product produced kL/product processed |
| Mining | Mining production figures | kL/tonne product produced |
| Office | Nett Lettable Area (m2NLA) | kL/m2 NLA |
| Commercial Laundry | Kilogram of linen | kL/kg linen |
| Retail Centre | Patrons Gross Lettable Area (m2GLA) |
kL/patron kL/m2 GLA |
| TAFE/ University | Full-time equivalent students and staff | kL/student and staff |
| Commercial Kitchen | Number of food covers | L/food cover |
| Turf Irrigation | Water use per year | kL/hectare |
Divide your water use by your business activity
For example, an Aquatic Centre has a yearly water use of 22,000kL with 780,991 patrons visiting the centre.
22,000 kL divided by 780,991 patrons = 0.03kL per patron per year or 30L per patron per year.
This figure is your benchmark and can be used to compare your water use to similar businesses.
Compare your water use
Once you’ve worked out your water use benchmark, you can use it to compare it to others in your industry.
Aquatic centre
The water use benchmark indicator for aquatic centres is litres per bather or litres per patron, depending on the type of centre. . Benchmarks below have been provided by an independent WA auditor :
| Aquatic water efficiency benchmarks | Benchmark litres per bather | Benchmark litres per patron |
|---|---|---|
| Goldfields Agricultural | 534 – 1,200 | 534 – 1,200 |
| Great Southern | 200 – 350 | 200 – 350 |
| Mid-West | 330 - 600 | 330 - 600 |
| South West | 120 - 300 | 120 - 300 |
| Perth Peel & centres with activity level 100,000 PA | 40 - 60 | 25 - 40 |
Aged care
The water efficiency performance indicator for residential aged care facilities is litres per resident per day. We developed the following benchmarks using data from local aged care facilities.
| Aged care water efficiency benchmarks | |
|---|---|
| Category | Benchmark (litres/resident/day) |
| Best practice | 130 or less |
| Typical | 130 - 300 |
| High | Greater than 300 |
Hotels
The water efficiency performance indicator for hotels is litres per occupied room night (L/occupied room night) and litres per guest night (L/guest night). We developed the following benchmarks using data from local hotels.
| Hotels water efficiency benchmarks | |
|---|---|
| Category | Benchmark (L/guest night) |
| Average water use performance | 281 |
| Best practice water cooled hotel | 159 |
| Best practice air cooled hotel | 173 |
Office buildings
The water efficiency performance indicator for commercial office buildings is kilolitres per nett lettable area per year (kL/m2NLA/annum). We developed the following benchmarks using data from office buildings in Perth.
| Office buildings water efficiency benchmarks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Water cooled buildings Benchmark (kL/m2NLA /year) |
Air cooled buildings Benchmark (kL/m2NLA/year) |
| Typical - building that hasn't implemented major water efficiency measures or doesn't have major leaks | 0.75-0.86 | 0.61-0.75 |
| Mid-range - building with a water management plan & proactive about water efficiency measures | 0.61-0.75 | 0.48-0.61 |
| Very well managed - building with proactive management & good design | 0.48-0.61 | 0.35-0.48 |
| Best practice -building with proactive water management & best practice design | 0.35-0.48 | <0.35 |
Retail centres
The water efficiency performance indicator for retail centres is kilolitres per gross lettable area per year (k/m2GLA/annum). We developed the following benchmarks using data from local retail centres.
| Retail centres water efficiency benchmarks | |
|---|---|
| Category | Benchmark (kL/m2GLA / year) |
| Poor | >1.56 |
| Below average | 1.16-1.56 |
| Average | 0.96-1.16 |
| Above average | 0.76-0.96 |
| Best practice | <0.56 |
Turf irrigation, including sports fields
The water efficiency performance indicator for turf irrigation is kilolitres per hectare. Sydney Water has developed the following benchmarks for turf irrigation.
| Turf irrigation water efficiency benchmarks | |
|---|---|
| Rating | Best practice benchmark |
| Stadiums | 4000 to 9000 kilolitres per hectare per year |
| Regional | 2500 to 5000 kilolitres per hectare per year |
| Local sports fields | 1500 to 3500 kilolitres per hectare per year |
| Neighbourhood parks, reserves and lawn areas |
0 to 2500 kilolitres per hectare per year |