About the Water Compare project

Across Australia, water suppliers have been working with their business customers on water efficiency programs for many years. To leverage that individual work, water suppliers across Australia have collaborated in the development of the Water Compare.  The tool is designed to gather water use information across a wide range of business sectors to:
  • Enable businesses to compare their water use to industry averages and be able to identify their own ways to use water in the most efficient manner and therefore save costs; and,
  • Water suppliers to share their experience and pool resources to develop a nationally consistent business customer benchmarking framework.
Project partners for the Water Compare tool are:
  • Australian Water Association
  • Barwon Water [Victoria]
  • City West Water [Victoria]
  • Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) [Victoria]
  • Hunter Water [New South Wales]
  • Power and Water Corporation [Northern Territory]
  • SA Water [South Australia]
  • South East Water [Victoria]
  • Sydney Water [New South Wales]
  • Water Corporation [Western Australia]
  • Water Services Association Australia
  • Western Water [Victoria]
  • Yarra Valley Water [Victoria]

Background

Benchmarking enables businesses to measure performance and compare with similar industry sectors.

Water suppliers across Australia have partnered to develop the Water Compare website tool. The tool gathers valuable water use information across business sectors to establish water use benchmarks.

This tool was initiated by Australian water utilities who collectively gathered data on water use by working with their business customers on water efficiency programs. The tool will enable different business sectors access to consistent and reliable water use benchmarks.

Water suppliers and partners across Australia will be able to better understand water use needs, identify priorities and allow efficient investment into water efficiency to drive best practice.

What are Benchmarks?

what is a benchmark

The Water Compare tool has been developed to provide benchmark water usage for a number of business sectors.  Using the ANZSIC industry classification structure, a customer can enter their own water usage data and compare their water use to similar businesses around Australia. 
Water Compare has also adopted industry productivity rates or Key Business Activity Indicators (KBAI) to guide the comparison.  For example, the aged care business sector has been benchmarked using kilolitres per resident and the chemical manufacturing sector uses kilolitres per tonne of product.