Water Efficiency Certifications in Inner West, Sydney
Most people would agree it’s very important to ensure your property water efficient. Overuse and unnecessary excess is a huge waste of money and water resource. Water efficiency is not difficult to achieve. There is a plethora of fittings and adjustments that can be made to your home to make and keep the property water efficient.
Generally, the costing for a water efficiency certificate is quite low depending on the works required and start from $200 going up to $250. This includes inspection, basic adjustments and a water efficiency certificate.
NSW Residential Tenancies Act and Water efficiency certificates
In NSW you can pass on water usage charges to your tenant as long as certain criteria have been met. Under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 and the related Tenancy Agreement 2010 new requirements for landlords wishing to charge tenants for water use include the following specifications:
- All internal cold water taps and single mixer taps for kitchen sinks or bathroom hand basins on the premises have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute
- All showerheads have a maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute
- There are no leaking taps at the commencement of this agreement or when the water efficiency measures are installed, whichever is the later
In addition, the property must have a separate water meter and you must provide evidence to your tenant that these measures are in place. These measures must be in place before 31 January 2011 or before any current tenancy agreement expires.
To help property managers and landlords comply with these requirements, Davy Plumbing offer:
- A full inspection of all taps and showerheads in the home
- An assessment of the toilets in the home if you choose
- Correction of any deficiencies at the time of inspection
Following the inspection and any rectification works, we will provide a completed certificate of compliance which may be provided to the tenant as evidence that the work has been completed and the property meets the efficiency requirements specified by the Residential Tenancies Act 2010.
The below table sets out the standards a rental property needs to be deemed water efficient and hence able to pass on water costs to tenants:
| Water Devices | Minimum required water efficiency standard |
|---|---|
| Internal cold water taps and single mixer taps for kitchen sinks and bathroom hand basins | A maximum flow rate of 9 liters per minute |
| Showerheads | A maximum flow rate of 9 litres per minute |
| No leaking taps | No leaking taps anywhere on the premises at the start of the tenancy or when the other water efficiency measures are installed |
Please note; the requirement for sink and basin taps to have a maximum flow rate of 9 liters per minute does not apply to other taps in the premises, such as bathtub taps, laundry taps, outside taps for the garden, or taps that supply washing machines and dishwashers.
Also, you do not necessarily need to change the showerheads and tap fittings. The water efficiency measures can be achieved simply by installing aerators or regulators to existing taps and showerheads and fixing any leaking taps on the premises.
For more information on getting your water certification, get in touch with Davy Plumbing. We are a local plumbing company based out of Northern Beaches, Sydney.