As many of us continue to experience cost of living pressures, potentially we could be saving money on water bills and strata levies.
An initiative of Sydney Water, WaterFix® Strata is specifically designed to minimise wasted water in apartments by identifying and rectifying leaking or inefficient taps, toilets and showers. There could also be potential energy savings too, if the water is unnecessarily being pumped up the building into individual apartments.
The WaterFix® Strata process is relatively straight forward and there aren’t any upfront costs. The program is paid using the savings on the water bill.
The strata manager or a committee member needs to complete the online assessment form. Based on the details provided and historical data, Sydney Water will use best practice industry benchmarks to make an assessment. If required, Sydney Water may organise an inspection of the property. An obligation-free quote is then prepared for what is required to save water.
According to Sydney Water, “A WaterFix Strata quote covers costs for our fully licensed and experienced plumbers and specialist tradespeople. It also includes products and materials, repairs or installing new items, removing and disposing of existing items, project management, and coordinating appointments with unit owners and tenants. Things like:
- repairing tap and toilet leaks
- installing water-efficient devices
- replacing faulty tapware and single-flush toilets
- finding concealed leaks
- repairing leaks in common areas
- removal, recycling and responsible disposal of all waste products and materials.”
The quote will require endorsement by the Strata Committee or Owners Corporation.
When Sydney Water receives the go-ahead, a project manager will be assigned to manage the project and liaise with tenants. Qualified plumbers will install water saving fixtures and fix any leaks.
Individual lot owners are also welcome to apply for WaterFix® Residential without Strata Committee involvement. As stated on the Sydney Water website, “Over 87% of water usage in strata-managed buildings is due to residents’ private water usage, mostly in showers.”
“You can save water and money each year by fixing leaks and installing water-efficient devices.
- Replacing inefficient taps with WELS 4-star rated taps can reduce water use by up to 52%.
- Replacing an inefficient showerhead with a WELS 4-star rated showerhead can reduce water use by up to 50%.
- Replacing a single-flush toilet with a WELS 4-star rated dual-flush toilet can reduce water use by up to 63%.”
There’s generally a $33 callout fee with WaterFix® Residential and there may be an additional cost depending on what’s required.
If you have any further questions on saving water, contact your Strata Manager at Netstrata.
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