Cracking the code on non‑residential water use

A major national project led by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) is setting a new standard for how we understand and manage water use across Australia’s non‑residential sector.

Delivered in collaboration with Adam Jones (now Fosaic) and 13 water utilities through the Water Services Association of Australia’s (WSAA) water efficiency network, the Non‑Residential Water Efficiency Benchmarking (NR WEB) Project has just wrapped up. Its impact is already being felt across the industry.

A clearer picture of water use where it matters most

Non‑residential water use accounts for around one third of urban demand in Australia, spanning everything from hospitals and hotels to childcare centres and aquatic facilities. Yet its complexity and variability have long made it difficult to measure and manage effectively.

The NR WEB project tackles this head-on, delivering the first consistent, evidence‑based benchmarking approach across a wide range of sectors. It establishes national benchmarks for 15 non‑residential sectors and sub‑sectors, exceeding comparable international efforts.

These benchmarks give water utilities and businesses a clear way to understand what “efficient” looks like, using simple, comparable measures such as litres per student per day or litres per bed per day.

From big picture to site‑specific insights

What sets the project apart is its dual approach.

Top‑down benchmarking provides sector-wide performance thresholds, helping utilities identify where the biggest opportunities for improvement lie.

This is complemented by a bottom‑up, end‑use benchmarking tool developed for six sectors, including aged care, hospitals, hotels and aquatic centres. It breaks water use into specific components like showers, toilets, irrigation and pools, while factoring in local climate and site conditions.

The result is a powerful, practical tool that allows organisations to see exactly where and how water is being used, and where efficiencies can be gained.

Driving smarter decisions across the sector

The implications go well beyond benchmarking.

For water utilities, the project enables more targeted demand management, helping reduce operating costs, manage peak demand and delay expensive infrastructure upgrades. It also strengthens existing water efficiency programs with a consistent framework for assessing performance.

For businesses, the benefits are both financial and reputational. Better visibility of water use can uncover cost savings, reduce energy and trade waste, and support sustainability goals.

Importantly, the project also lays the groundwork for broader applications, including demand forecasting, drought preparedness, scenario modelling and even land use planning.

A step change for water efficiency

By combining robust data, industry collaboration and practical tools, the NR WEB project marks a significant shift in how non‑residential water use is understood.

It creates a scalable framework that can expand to more sectors over time, unlocking deeper insights across the economy and supporting more resilient water systems.

As ISF’s Simon Fane puts it: