Your bills explained

We issue two types of bills to customers:

Annual service accounts – these are issued once in July.
Water use accounts – these are issued twice a year to metropolitan customers and three times a year in the country.

Depending on how you choose to pay your annual service charges and water use charges, you may receive instalment advices for these accounts.

There are also instances when we may send you an adjusted charges account and reminder notices

What are annual service charges and when do I receive them?

All properties with access to our water, wastewater, and drainage services are charged for the cost of providing and maintaining these services. These charges help ensure we can always supply you with clean and safe drinking water, and take it away again and treat it.

You may receive service charges for water, sewer (wastewater) and/or drainage. Your charges will depend on which services are available to your property.

Annual services charges are issued once in July.

What are water use charges and when do I receive them?

Water use charges are generally issued twice a year to metropolitan customers, and three times a year to customers in the country, based on our meter reading calendar.

To encourage careful use of water households are charged on a tiered pricing structure, so the more water you use, the higher the price per kilolitre.

Instalment advices

If you have opted to pay your annual service charges by instalments you will receive an instalment advice shortly before your next payment is due.

Adjusted accounts

If the basis on which you were originally charged has changed, you will receive an adjusted charges account. For example, there may have been a change in:

Land use - a new house has been built, or an old house demolished.
Classification – For example if a house has been converted into a doctor’s surgery.
Service availability – for example a sewer main has been extended and your property can now be connected to the main wastewater system.

The adjusted charges account will let you know of the additional charges or the credit adjustment, and your new account balance.

Reasons for nil charges

There are a few reasons for receiving an account with nil to pay:

If your water use account is less than $5, we issue an account that asks for nil payment and include the amount on your next account.

(For example pensioners water use accounts can sometimes be less than $5, or holiday homes that are rarely used)

If you have enough credit on your account to cover the current bill, we will still issue an account for a nil payment.

(Your account may be in credit if you have previously overpaid it, paid a previous bill into the wrong account, or have a periodic direct debit payment arrangement which has brought your account into credit).

Reasons for vacant block charges

If you own a vacant block which has access to our water, wastewater or drainage services, you will receive bill/s for our annual service charges - even if there is no connection.

All properties that are able to connect to our services need to contribute to the cost of providing and maintaining these essential services.

Vacant lots created by sub division can be exempt from service charges for up to 12 months from approval date.

Reasons for reminder notices

You will receive a notice reminding you to pay your bill if it is more than 14 days past its due date. If you are having difficulties paying your bill we have financial assistance available