WATER: For consultation - Draft water efficiency standards for clothes washers & dishwashers, water efficiency labelling of combined washer/dryers

Organisations and individuals are asked to give their views on the draft Regulation Impact Statement: Minimum water efficiency standards for clothes washers and dishwashers and water efficiency labelling of combined washer/dryers.

The national Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme currently mandates registration and water efficiency labelling of clothes washing machines, dishwashers, toilets, urinals, taps and showers, with flow controllers optional. However, with the exception of toilets, there is no minimum standard for these products, which means that inefficient, high water-using products may still be sold to the public.

The draft report assesses the regulatory impacts, including the costs and benefits of setting minimum water efficiency standards for clothes washers and dishwashers to improve the water efficiency of these products. It also assesses the case for introducing a WELS label and minimum standard for the dryer component of combination washer dryers that use water in dryer-mode and stand-alone dryers that use water. On the basis of this assessment the draft report recommends that Australian Governments agree to proceed with these proposals.

The public consultation period closes on 23 January 2009.