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Hi CBF,
Water usage in mixed developments is starting to become contentious, now that more owners have knowledge of how consumption billing actually works. At a conceptual level if residents start to question whether their levies should be paying for that used by water-dependant businesses, the businesses can then turn around and object to paying for expenses related to the residential component (often many more lots) of the scheme.
In our building 4 of the 6 commercial lots are water-dependant, including two hairdressers. We’re now embarking on getting some facts before we determine if there’s a significant need to address the issue further.
The new benchmark data from Sydney Water is one part of the equation https://www.greenstrata.com.au/category/know-where-your-water-used (it’s the best available in the sorry absence of individual meters).
Our water consumption is logged and we can access data daily over the net. We’re about to install sub-meters on the feeds to the commercial premises to find out exactly what proportion of total consumption is attributable to them. What we find will determine our next steps. I’ll let you know how we go.
I know there are many issues with retrofitting individual meters to apartments, but I would think retrofitting them to ground floor commercial premises would not be that much of an issue. What does arise then if commercial lots are paying for their own water, is the need to calculate levies differently for residential & commercial lots. In NSW, perhaps the current review/reform should consider this.
Cheers
Chris