Working with you – commercial and institutional customers
The Water Conservation Solutions program is designed to help our major commercial and institutional customers save water, cut costs and improve the sustainability of your business through the development of a City West WaterMAP™. It also provides the tools to assist our customers to meet the Victorian Government’s waterMAP program requirements and part of the anticipated Victorian Environment Protection Authority’s EREP program.
The City West WaterMAP™ is an action plan outlining how and where water efficiency can be improved in your business.
Our commercial and institutional customers are generally large businesses, departments or organisations that typically use large volumes of water for amenities, cooling towers, or irrigation of sports fields, parks and gardens.
Examples of commercial and institutional customers include office buildings, shopping centres, major sporting facilities and hospitals.
Program benefits may include:
Improved bottom line
- Reduced water consumption costs
- Reduced sewer discharge costs
- Reduced water and wastewater treatment costs
- Potential funding assistance to investigate and implement water efficiency measures
- Reduced energy costs and greenhouse emissions
Other advantages
- Meet the requirements of the Victorian Government’s waterMAP program and part of the anticipated Victorian Environment Protection Authority’s EREP program
- Enhanced company profile and reputation as a result of your improved environmental performance
- A choice of knowledgeable service providers to help deliver program initiatives
- Behavioural change of staff and other water users that leads to further water conservation
- A better understanding of water use within your business
- Helping to ensure that water is available for future generations
How does it work?
The program can provide:
- Access to skilled and knowledgeable service providers
- Support material for use by customers and service providers, including the Water Conservation Solutions Handbook
- Education, including signage
- Funding assistance
- Industry-specific benchmarks
- Monitoring
- Ongoing support
Program Steps
- Register your site online – Within a month of being notified by City West Water of your 2006-07 water consumption or your 2007-08 estimated consumption you must register the site. If you have already completed a City West WaterMAP™ (or equivalent) the site will be automatically registered. You will be advised by City West Water if this is the case. Click here to register to register for the waterMAP program.
- Attend a program workshop and receive a support package. City West Water will conduct City West WaterMAP™ workshops to assist with completion of your City West WaterMAP™. Click here to register for the workshops.
- Begin activities to understand water use at the site, determine whether further metering is required and identify opportunities for improving water efficiency.
- Undertake further investigations into identified water saving options, possibly including a cost/benefit analysis. External assistance may be required. The Water Conservation Solutions list of service providers is available for you to use.
- Develop your City West WaterMAP™ , which details and prioritises actions to improve site water efficiency and lodge with City West Water. Click here for an example City West WaterMAP™ for your assistance.
- Implement actions as detailed in your City West WaterMAP™. External assistance may be required. The Water Conservation Solutions list of service providers can help you to implement actions in your City West WaterMAP™.
- Monitor and review water use, savings and progress of your City West WaterMAP™ regularly, in consultation with City West Water, by lodging your updated City West WaterMAP™ and detailing water savings using Table 18 of the handbook [DOC] on an annual basis.
Access to skilled and knowledgeable service providers
Providers specialise in water use areas including:- Cooling towers and boilers
- Auditing of domestic water appliances e.g. taps and toilets
- Stormwater and/or rainwater collection
- Recycling and reuse opportunities
- Data logging and check-metering of water supply
- Water-efficient plumbing
- Open space irrigation and landscaping
- Fire water and testing
- Refurbishment/new development advice
Service providers will help identify and assess the feasibility of water (and potentially energy) saving measures. City West Water has compiled a list of skilled and knowledgeable service providers for your assistance. Click here to view the Service Provider list.
Participants may also use their own service providers.
Support material for use by customers and service providers
We will provide resources to help you identify and carry out water efficiency measures and develop your City West WaterMAP™.
The Water Conservation Solutions handbook [PDF 5MB] provides a step-by-step guide to developing, implementing and reviewing your City West WaterMAP™.
These involve:
- Securing management commitment
- Creating a water-saving team
- Understanding current water use
- Identifying water reduction measures
Tables, checklists, best practice guidelines, fact sheets and case studies are included in the handbook. Worksheets in word format are also provided to assist with the completion, monitoring and review of your City West WaterMAP™. Click here to access these worksheets from our Resources page.
Education
We will provide:
- City West WaterMAP™ workshops. These will answer your questions, help you source suitable service providers, inform you about funding assistance and demonstrate how to use the Water Conservation Solutions handbook to complete your City West WaterMAP™.
- Internal presentations. City West Water may also facilitate internal presentations to management and selected staff to detail the Water Conservation Solutions Program and how it can assist your business.
- Promotional Signage. Stickers and posters will highlight the need for water efficiency and conservation. Click here to review the stickers and poster City West Water has available.
- Promotion of customer achievements. Case studies will be developed and promoted by City West Water and provided for your use.
Funding Assistance
City West Water funding opportunities
Funding opportunities may be available for eligible water efficiency projects, such as the provision of check-meters to measure water consumption in key areas of your organisation.
Co-funding may also be available for approved investigation and implementation of efficient water saving projects. To obtain co-funding, you will need to complete an application form for review and approval by City West Water. Contact your City West Water representative for more information on funding eligibility and an application form.
External Funding/Grants Database
Our Funding/Grants Database provides information on the various sources of funding available from local, state and federal governments and industry organisations. The database offers information on funding resources associated with water conservation, energy conservation, cleaner production, trade waste minimisation and water recycling. Information on each grant or incentive includes eligibility requirements, the amount of money available and contact details. We can work with you to develop and support funding applications. Click here to view the Funding/Grants Database [XLS 103 KB].
Industry-specific benchmarks
Where available, industry benchmarks can be used to help identify realistic water-reduction targets for your City West WaterMAP™. For more information on the results of the benchmarking study click here.
Monitoring
City West Water will continue to provide assistance to enable monitoring and review of your water use and savings and progress of your City West WaterMAP™. The handbook includes sections to monitor and review your water usage. Your updated City West WaterMAP™ and current water savings data detailed in Table 18 of the handbook [Word format] should be lodged with City West Water under the Permanent Water Savings Rules on an annual basis.
Ongoing support
We will provide ongoing support to help you analyse and understand your water use patterns and trends, engage qualified service providers, assist with funding applications and develop your City West WaterMAP™.