Addressing the Australian water crisis: A guide to water efficiency and sustainability in bathroom design

Extended droughts, low rainfalls, and increasing supply demands have raised the question – will Australia’s major cities run out of water? As showers, taps and toilets are the biggest water consumers in the average home, more sustainable bathroom design and specification is needed.

The regulatory framework governing bathroom design and specification includes:

• the National Construction Code (including the Plumbing Code of Australia);

• the Watermark Certification Scheme;

• the Water Efficiency Labelling Standards (WELS), a mandatory water efficiency product labelling scheme; and

• sustainable building certification schemes, such as Greenstar and NABERS.

Key Design Considerations

Sustainable bathroom design requires choosing water-efficient showerheads, toilets and taps. For a standard four-person household, replacing a showerhead that flows at 15L/ min with a WELS 3-star showerhead at 9L/ min saves approximately 70kl each year. A WELS 4-star shower at 6L/min would save approximately 105kl each year.

Replacing a single-flush toilet that uses

12L per flush with a 4-star dual-flush toilet flushing 4.5L for full flush and 3L for reduced flush (with an average 3.3L flush) results in significant water savings. Leading manufacturers offer toilets achieving a WELS 5-star rating featuring an average flush of 3L with an integrated handbasin.

Low flow taps can reduce tap water use from a standard 9L/min to 4.5L/min and to as little as 2L/min using WELS 6-star tapware.

Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Systems

Households can further reduce water consumption by installing a rainwater harvesting or greywater reuse system. Depending on water quality, rainwater or greywater can be used for domestic purposes including irrigation, toilet flushing, and clothes washing.

Boosting Your Sustainability Credentials

Identify manufacturers with extensive development and testing capabilities and a demonstrable commitment to sustainability. These companies will more likely deliver sustainable solutions that meet Australian standards for quality, performance and water efficiency.

Caroma is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of sanitaryware and bathroom products. With 75 years of experience, the company believes that bathrooms should be beautiful, easy to use and built on a foundation of innovation, performance and sustainability. Caroma has a long history of collaborating with water authorities and plumbing industry bodies to develop innovative water-saving solutions in the shower, toilet and tapware categories.