What is NABERS Water?

Water is one of our most precious resources — yet buildings are responsible for around 20% of the world’s available drinking water use. For owners, managers, and developers, improving efficiency is not only an environmental responsibility but also a smart way to reduce costs, strengthen asset value, and build resilience.
That’s where NABERS Water comes in.

Understanding NABERS Water

NABERS Water is a nationally recognised, performance-based rating system that measures the water efficiency of buildings and tenancies in Australia. Unlike design-stage predictions, NABERS Water is based on actual water consumption and recycling over a 12-month period, benchmarked against industry peers.
This gives building owners a fair, accurate assessment of how efficiently their property is managing water resources.
A strong NABERS Water rating can:
  • Reduce operating costs by lowering water consumption.
  • Demonstrate sustainability leadership with trusted credentials.
  • Improve portfolio resilience by preparing for rising utility costs and investor expectations.
At SUHO, our accredited NABERS Assessors guide clients from data collection and validation through to certification — and identify practical opportunities to reduce use without compromising performance.

Where NABERS Water Applies

NABERS Water ratings are available across a wide range of building types, including:
  • Office buildings
  • Shopping centres
  • Apartment buildings
  • Hospitals (public)
  • Hotels
  • Residential aged care centres
  • Retirement living
  • Schools
…and more.

NABERS Water for Office Buildings

Office buildings are significant water users, from cooling towers and amenities to kitchens and cleaning. That’s why NABERS Water offers a whole building rating tailored to this sector.
A NABERS Water for offices rating covers all water consumption from externally supplied sources across both base building services and tenant-occupied spaces. It can also be conducted at the same time as a NABERS Energy (base or whole building) rating, providing a streamlined and holistic picture of your building’s performance.

The Takeaway

NABERS Water doesn’t just measure consumption — it provides a roadmap for smarter, more sustainable use of one of our most vital resources.
At SUHO, we help office owners and managers achieve NABERS Water certification that delivers ongoing savings, reduces environmental impact, and strengthens the value of their buildings. Because every drop counts — and every building can do better.

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Ensure your project is built on sustainable principles with SUHO’s ESD planning services. Contact us today to see how we can tailor our services to meet your project's needs.
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