Winterhalter first to get water saving certification

The Winterhalter UC Undercounter Commercial glass washing unit has become the first commercial glass washer to be granted certification under the Australian water savings program Smart WaterMark.While energy and water ratings have long been available for domestic machines, the Smart Approved Watermark certification of the machine is a first step for the commercial ware washing sector here and is part of a strategy to reduce the amount of water used by the hospitality industry.The Winterhalter UC Undercounter Commercial glass washing unit received the approval after the manufacturer was able to demonstrate to the program’s panel that it uses around 2.2 litres of water per cycle, less than the maximum of three litres per wash allowed in guidelines.Smart WaterMark is a national not-for-profit program supported by industry and governments that identifies and certifies water saving products and services. There are more than 240 products and services already certified to use the Smart WaterMark label. It's the sister program to the WELS Star Rating for domestic appliances.Smart Watermark chief executive officer Julian Gray said the Smart WaterMark for the Winterhalter unit marked a milestone in the program.“It was identified that the hospitality sector needed independent assistance in recognising equipment that used water and in turn energy more efficiently – both offering benefits for our environment and cost savings for their businesses,” he said.Gray said the Smart WaterMark program had worked closely with Sydney Water to develop guidelines for commercial glass washers, which were identified as a major water and energy user in the hospitality industry in Australia.Read full story