PUBLIC awareness of water conservation and the use of water-efficient products in Malaysia is showing encouraging progress, reflecting sustained efforts by the National Water Services Commission to transform the country’s water services sector
Findings from a survey involving nearly 30,000 respondents conducted in mid-2025 revealed that close to 80 per cent of Malaysians are aware of water-efficient products.
Almost 65 per cent said they had seen the Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme logo, while 60 per cent reported having used WEPLS-labelled products in their homes.
Despite the rising level of awareness, Malaysia’s average domestic water consumption remains high at about 225 litres per capita per day, significantly above the 165 litres recommended by the World Health Organization.
The figures point to an urgent need to change water usage habits, particularly among household consumers.
To address this, a range of awareness initiatives has been rolled out to promote the adoption of water-efficient products, which not only help curb wastage but also enable users to manage their water use more prudently.
A key initiative is the introduction of the WEPLS logo in 2013, designed to guide consumers in choosing products based on water efficiency through a star rating system.
WEPLS-labelled products are assessed according to the volume of water used, based on the principle of “more stars, higher efficiency, greater savings”, supporting greener lifestyles while helping households reduce water bills over the long term.
In line with increasing consumer awareness, SPAN has also introduced a Water-Efficient Product Replacement Programme to evaluate the effectiveness of WEPLS-labelled products in residential settings.
The pilot programme was carried out in three residential areas, Santan and Kangar in Perlis, and Hulu Terengganu, involving the installation of four types of water-efficient products: taps, showerheads, dual-flush toilets and washing machines.
Beyond product installation, internal plumbing repair works were also undertaken to ensure that household water supply systems operated efficiently and were free from leaks.
Water consumption at the selected homes was monitored monthly over a six-month period from January to June 2025 to assess changes in usage patterns before and after the installation of the water-efficient products.
The monitoring results showed that two premises recorded significant reductions in water consumption, by 85 per cent and 78.5 per cent respectively.
However, one premise recorded a slight increase of five per cent, attributed to catering business activities conducted during the programme period.
According to SPAN, wider adoption of water-efficient products has strong potential to support sustainable domestic water demand management and help Malaysia achieve its target of 160 litres per capita per day by 2030, in line with the Water Transformation Plan 2040. - February 4, 2026
