Every business should review their water usage and implement strategies to be waterwise. Read the following suggestions and consider how you can implement changes in your business.

Increase water usage awareness with your employees

• Talk to your employees about your water savings initiatives. Include water savings policies and procedures in staff inductions.
• Encourage employees to contribute to water saving ideas.
• Discuss water efficiency at team meetings and provide regular reports on water use figures.
• Appoint a 'water champion' to check meters and monitor water use.
• Establish a baseline for water use and set achievable targets for saving water.
• Reduce paper use where possible—it takes more than 2 litres of water to produce 1 sheet of A4 paper.
• Place the Using water wisely in your workplace poster (PDF, 581KB) on the walls of high traffic shared spaces (e.g. the kitchen). This will remind everyone to think about their water use.

Taps

• Install water-efficient taps—water efficiency labelling and standards (WELS) rated 3 stars or more—with an aerator or flow restrictor to use less water.
• Install lever or mixer taps, these save water by quickly reaching a desired temperature.
• Fix leaking taps and replace washers—a slowly dripping tap can fill more than a bucket of water in a week, and a fast-dripping tap can waste more than 10 buckets of water in a week.

Dishwashers

• Install water-efficient dishwashers (WELS rated 3 stars or more).
• Encourage staff to only wash with full loads—1 less load will save nearly 2 buckets of water.

Toilets

• Replace single-flush toilets with WELS rated 4 star dual-flush toilets.
• Regularly check for leaks and fix immediately.
• Install water-efficient urinals with smart controls to reduce unnecessary flushing.

Showers

• Encourage staff and customers to limit post-workout and after-travel showers to 4 minutes or less. One minute less saves 1 bucket of water.
• Install water-efficient shower heads (WELS rated 3 stars or more).
• Fix leaking showers.

Air conditioning

• If you use evaporative air conditioners, set your thermostat to 24°C.
• Where possible, use fans and natural ventilation.
• Switch off heating and cooling after hours.

Gardens

• Install rainwater tanks.
• Use drought-tolerant plants.
• Use mulch to keep moisture in the soil.
• Water plants early in the morning.

Active playing surfaces (sports grounds)

Refer to the waterwise active playing surfaces (PDF, 686KB) and waterwise active playing surfaces checklist (PDF, 91KB) for information to help you become more water efficient managing your grounds.

Water efficiency management plans

A water efficiency management plan (WEMP) can help businesses understand their water use and find and implement measures to become more waterwise. Read more about WEMPs.

Also consider...

• Access our comprehensive waterwise resources and advice.
• Find out more about the Australian Government's Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme and Smart Approved WaterMark.
• Read about water restrictions and access our water restrictions checklist for more information on how your business can save water.
• Help prepare your business for a drought with our drought preparation checklist.
• Use the ecoBiz program to help identify cost-saving opportunities for your business's water usage. ecoBiz also provides an on-site coaching session and benchmarking assistance.

Businesses generally obtain their water from the drinking water (potable water) supply mains. However, in many cases it is possible to use non-potable water for certain purposes (e.g. flushing toilets). Using non-potable water for selected purposes can reduce your water bills and make your business more environmentally sustainable.

The quality of non-potable water will vary depending on its source and the level of treatment applied and so may contain biological hazards such as bacteria, viruses, or chemical and metal residues. It is therefore important to weigh up the risks and benefits.

Types of non-potable water

Non-potable water sources can include the following:

• Recycled water is water that has been used and is then supplied for reuse, either treated or untreated. Recycled water may be sourced from sewage (wastewater treatment plants) or process water streams.
• Stormwater is the run-off from roofs, roads, driveways and other hard surfaces. Stormwater must generally be treated for use. Water caught in rainwater tanks is suitable for some uses.
• Greywater is wastewater generated from showers and laundries. Greywater may be used treated or untreated, depending on its use.

Risk management and safety

The person in control of the workplace must manage any risks from the use, handling, storage, and transport of non-potable water at the workplace.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, manufacturers, suppliers and users of non-potable water in a workplace have an obligation to prevent death, injury or illness caused by the water.

Read more about non-potable water.

Find out more about your obligations for keeping your workplace safe, and how to address the risks associated with using non-potable water in your risk management plan.

State government agencies in Queensland with regulatory responsibilities for the use of non-potable water include:

• Workplace Health and Safety Queensland – using non-potable water in the workplace
• Department of Housing and Public Works – using greywater
• Queensland Health – using non-reticulated water in a food business
• Safe Food Queensland.

Different water restrictions apply to businesses throughout Queensland. To check what local water restrictions apply to your business, contact your local council or service provider.

Water restrictions for South East Queensland business

All water restrictions were lifted for South East Queensland businesses on 1 January 2013.

Also consider…

• Access our water restrictions checklist for more information on how your business can save water.
• Help prepare your business for a drought with our drought preparation checklist.
• Read about water efficiency management plans (WEMPs) to help save water for your business.

Also consider...

• Complete the drought preparation checklist for more information on how to prepare your business for drought.