• Change text size
• Skip to content

Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards
(WELS) Scheme

• About us
• Contact us

WELS home

• Manufacturers and importers
• Retailers and wholesalers
• Plumbers and builders
• Consumers
• Architects and specifiers
• WELS products
  • Registering products
  • Product search database
• WELS Scheme expansion
• Frequently asked questions
• Publications
  • Links

Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme

Overview

Water shortages and the longer-term security of water supply are serious concerns for Australia. The WELS Scheme labels products for water efficiency, helping Australian households save water and money.

This site contains information about WELS for manufacturers and importers, retailers and wholesalers, plumbers and builders, architects and specifiers and consumers.

Why WELS?

Choosing more efficient products helps Australia save water.

By 2021 Australians could save more than $600 million through reduced water and energy bills by simply choosing more efficient products. By 2021 it is estimated that using water efficient products will help to:

• Reduce domestic water use by five per cent or 87,200 megalitres each year.
• Save about 610,000 megalitres (more water than in Sydney Harbour).

Nearly half the water savings will come from more efficient washing machines, about 25 per cent from showers and 22 per cent from toilets.

By choosing to use more water-efficient products in the home, Australians will save water and cut down on water and energy bills.

• A water-efficient washing machine may use only one-third the water of an inefficient model.
• An old-style single-flush toilet could use up to 12 litres of water per flush. A standard dual flush toilets use only three litres on a half-flush.
• A standard showerhead may use up to 25 litres of water per minute. A water-efficient showerhead might use as little as seven litres per minute.