Can Rainwater Harvesting Help With BASIX Certification?

1. Can Rainwater Harvesting Help With BASIX Certification? Did you know Australia has earned the title of the driest populated continent in the entire world? Yet the Australian subcontinent records the highest water usage per person than most other countries globally. However, several remedies during residential construction and garden planning can introduce optimal water utilisation. To promote such sustainable residential building practices, the NSW Government introduced the BASIX Certificate. Why Is Water Conservation Important? The sustainability measures generally have two objectives: ● ● Reducing the quantity of water consumption Integrating more sustainable alternatives to water resources. Water conservation has several benefits, including minimising the requirement to develop new water supply resources and safeguarding river health by preventing water extraction.

2. Building rainwater tanks and rainwater harvesting is one of the easiest ways to conserve quick-depleting potable water resources and fulfilling BASIX standards. Apart from water, BASIX also targets energy efficiency and thermal comfort.NatHERS rating is a useful tool for demonstrating thermal comfort compliance. This blog will discuss how rainwater harvesting can be beneficial for complying with BASIX standards. But before that, let’s go through the fundamentals of BASIX. What Is a BASIX Certificate? BASIX is an acronym for the Building Sustainability Index. Implemented by the NSW Government in 2004 for accessing water and energy efficiency in residential development. The BASIX certificate is legally mandatory for obtaining development applications for new residential dwellings and upgrades of existing residential structures costing above $50,000. As a result, new residential dwellings and alterations can operate by consuming less water and energy. Consequently, this saves residential operational costs and conserves precious natural resources. Moreover, energy and water-efficient residential projects have high economic value in the real estate market. As mentioned previously, the BASIX certificate is divided into three major sections: ● ● ● Energy Water Thermal comfort The fundamental design concepts that enable BASIX compliance include: ● ● ● Rainwater harvesting tanks to save water Efficient hot water systems that prevent energy wastage or overuse. Natural heating and cooling to reduce dependency on artificial appliances such as air conditioners and heaters on NatHERS certificate. Installation of gas appliances Natural lighting utilisation through windows and skylight Native plants for gardens, as they require much less water for survival. ● ● ● Rainwater Harvesting

3. Properly collecting and utilising rainwater can help conserve precious potable water resources and reduce ecological impacts beyond the home. It can even minimise the occupant’s water bills and help maintain a healthy garden even during water restrictions. You can include a rainwater harvesting component in your BASIX certificate. Also Read: Practical Design Insights To Make Your Residential Project BASIX Compliant Benefits Of Rainwater Harvesting Rainwater is a highly-valuable natural resource. As mentioned earlier, using rainwater for domestic purposes can minimise water bills, offer an alternative water supply during restrictions, and help maintain a verdant garden. Depending on tank capacity and climatic zone, potable water consumption from main supply use can be reduced by almost 90-100%, translating into: ● ● Reduced requirement for new dams or desalination plants (less carbon footprint) Protection of remaining environmental flows in rivers (replenishment of depleting resources) Reduction in infrastructure operating costs. ● Rainwater harvesting also drastically reduces the rate of stormwater runoff. Consequently, there’s a reduction in local flooding and scouring of creeks. Rainwater collected from an efficiently designed, well-maintained, and streamlined supply system can be suitable for almost every domestic purpose. It is recommended that you hire a reliable building consultant to prepare BASIX and NatHERS certificates. What Are The Components Of a Rainwater Harvesting System? A residential rainwater harvesting system generally involves the following elements: ● ● Roof and gutters as initial receiver Collection systems, such as downpipes, first flush diverters, leaf-shedding rain-heads, etc. Storage tanks A Supply system usually encompasses the integration of a pump and filters. ● ●

4. ● A ‘charged line’ system is required if the pipe does not have a downward inclination or sloping across its length to the rainwater tank. Both the pumping system and charged line need to be mentioned in the BASIX certificate as they’ll be a source of energy consumption. Rainwater Tank Selection Rainwater tank selection should be made considering several factors. The three major parameters of a rainwater tank include: ● ● ● Tank capacity Tank construction material Tank installation type Tank Capacity Factors to consider while selecting tank capacity: ● Domestic uses to be supplied. Maximising rainwater utilisation gives the best value to your residential project. Average water consumed volume for these various domestic purposes. Local rainfall pattern and annual rainfall in the project area. Area of roof draining to the rainwater tank Desired security of water you want to provide to the residents. ● ● ● ● Tank Material The most popular rainwater harvesting tank materials include plastic or polyethylene (most cost-effective), concrete (best bushfire resistance), fibreglass, and steel (strong and easily customisable). Tank Installation Type ● One of the cheapest types of pre-fabricated tanks includes round, above-ground rainwater tanks. Slimline tanks can be installed along a fence line or at the side of the residential property. However, installation requires a properly formed concrete slab for support. Always trust an experienced NatHERS and BASIX consultant to check local government planning regulations. ● ● Storage walls are innovative modular slimline tanks generally engineered using plastic that fit into tight spaces.

5. ● Underground tanks save considerable space and generally have greater storage potential as compared to above-ground tanks. However, this option mostly requires excavation. ● Bladder rainwater tanks are sealed, flexible sacks that can be easily installed in subfloor spaces with even 600mm height clearance. Embrace Sustainability With Rainwater Harvesting Obtaining a BASIX certificate is mandatory, and therefore, complying with BASIX standards is extremely essential. Experienced building consultants are highly trained and qualified to help with the sustainability compliance process. They can help in preventing errors and delays in compliance documentation. Additionally, with their expert recommendations, you can even save construction costs. Planning to introduce rainwater harvesting in your residential project? Connect with an expert today! Contact Us Company Name: Eco Certificates Address: Suite 413, 33 Lexington Drive, Bella Vista, NSW 2153, Australia Phone: 1300 162436 Email id: info@ecocertificates.com.au Website: http://ecocertificates.com.au/