Your water use charges are based on how much water you use in your home or business. Learn how we calculate your water use charges.
From 1 July 2024, a 2.5% increase will apply to water use charges.
In this article
Every 2 months, we read your water meter to find out how much water you have used in the past billing period.
Your water use is measured and billed in kilolitres (kL), which can be found on the back of your bill.
To encourage the careful use of water, we use a tiered pricing system to calculate your charges. The more water you use, the more you pay per kL.
Your water use charges = your water use in kL for the period multiplied by your current tier pricing.
As our climate changes, it's our job to ensure everyone continues to have a reliable water supply.
That's why we use a tiered pricing system, to encourage waterwise behaviour.
Depending on where you live in WA, your water use charges can vary. Our tiered pricing system is based on:
At the beginning of your bill year, your water account starts in Tier 1, where you are charged the lowest price per kL for your location.
A bill year is made up of 6 two-monthly billing periods. It starts with the first meter reading of your reading cycle, which can be any time from March to October, depending on where you live.
Throughout a bill year, we keep track of your total water use since it started. As your water use goes up, you’ll continue moving closer to the next highest tier until your bill year ends.
If you have moved up a tier during your bill year, you will revert to Tier 1 when your new bill year starts.
To find out when your bill year ends and you reset to Tier 1, check the front of your bill under ‘Water use pricing’.
| Usage (kL)/bill year | $/kL |
|---|---|
| Tier 1: 0 - 150 kL | $2.002/kL |
| Tier 2: 151 - 500 kL | $2.667/kL |
| Tier 3: over 500 kL | $4.990/kL |
If you live in Brighton Estate, additional charges apply.
Each town and city in regional WA belongs to a ‘water use class’, which reflects the cost of supplying water to your area.
To see how much you’re charged, please check your town or city’s class below.
| Usage (kL)/bill year | Class 1 $/kL | Class 2 $/kL | Class 3 $/kL | Class 4 $/kL | Class 5 $/kL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1: 0 - 150 kL | $1.527 | $2.002 | $2.002 | $2.002 | $2.002 |
| Tier 2: 151 - 300 kL | $2.034 | $2.667 | $2.667 | $2.667 | $2.667 |
| Tier 3: 301 - 550 kL | $2.335 | $3.212 | $4.279 | $5.032 | $5.919 |
| Tier 4: Over 550 kL | $2.727 | $4.098 |
$5.456 | $7.547 | $10.178 |
View south regional water use classes.
| Usage (kL)/bill year | Class 1 $/kL | Class 2 $/kL | Class 3 $/kL | Class 4 $/kL | Class 5 $/kL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1: 0 - 350 kL | $1.527 | $2.002 | $2.002 | $2.002 | $2.002 |
| Tier 2: 351 - 500 kL | $2.034 | $2.667 | $2.667 | $2.667 | $2.667 |
| Tier 3: 501 - 750 kL | $2.335 | $3.212 | $4.279 | $5.032 | $5.919 |
| Tier 4: Over 750 kL | $2.727 | $4.098 |
$5.456 | $7.547 | $10.178 |
View north regional water use classes.
If you live in Denham, additional charges apply.
If you’ve recently moved into a property, the property owner or agent can request a special meter read.
This is so you can receive a portion of the lowest tiers’ pricing until your bill year resets, or until you move into another tier.
Find more bill and account help when you’re moving or renting a property.
Business bills are generally made up of the following charges. On this page, you will learn about your water use charges.
The breakdown of the charges that apply to you can be found on the back of your bill.
Every 2 months, we take a meter reading to find out how much water you've used. Your water use since your last meter read can be found on the back of your bill under 'Water use charges.'
For large commercial businesses, we may take monthly meter readings.
Metro business customers are charged a flat fee per kilolitre.
| Metro business | Price per kL of water used 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| All water use | $2.850 |
The first 150 kilolitres of water used during a bill year are charged at the residential price of $2.002 per kilolitre.
Usage over 150 kilolitres is charged at the non-residential pricing listed above.
The bill year begins with your first-meter reading, from January to June.
Please note: updates to charges are applied at the start of each financial year.
Each regional town is classified into 1 of 15 steps, with 15 being the highest.
You can find the charges that apply to you on the back of your bill under ‘Water use charges’.
You can also view this year’s regional business step classifications below. To find out what step applies to you, download our towns and regional areas step classifications (PDF).
| Steps | Price per kL of water used 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2.939 |
| 2 | $3.202 |
| 3 | $3.483 |
| 4 | $3.795 |
| 5 | $4.133 |
| 6 | $4.499 |
| 7 | $4.902 |
| 8 | $5.336 |
| 9 | $5.811 |
| 10 | $6.328 |
| 11 | $6.889 |
| 12 | $7.503 |
| 13 | $8.170 |
| 14 | $8.899 |
| 15 | $9.687 |
The first 150 kilolitres of water used during a bill year are charged at the residential price of $2.002 per kilolitre.
Usage over 150 kilolitres is charged at the non-residential pricing listed above.
The bill year begins with your first-meter reading from September to October.
Please note: new financial year charges are applied at the start of each financial year.
We operate a saline water service and a desalinated water service in Denham. Saline water is for outdoor use only.
Denham customers receive a combined bill for water use and service charges every 2 months. Charges for water use from each water source are separated on the bill and clearly show the amount used and charges applicable for each source.
Saline water use is charged at the normal country business water use rate (step 5) detailed above.
Each property is allowed a quota of 108 kilolitres per year, charged at a set rate. If more than the quota is used, the rate increase. Please see below for details.
| Desalinated water use charges | |
|---|---|
| Water use | Price per kilolitre |
| Up to or equal to 108kL | $0.757 |
| Over 108kL | $17.348 |
Coral Bay desalinated water use is charged at $8.232 per kilolitre.
The Coral Bay Water Scheme commenced operating in 2008 and was designed to support the local tourism industry.
The charge reflects the service's cost and encourages customers to save water and maintain their secondary outdoor water supplies. Desalinated water is not for external use.
Farms and properties used for stock are charged $2.939 per kilolitre of water used.
Our water needs were once met by the rain, but as climate change continues to impact WA’s water supply, we need to find new sources. Learn more about your water supply and how we’re securing this valuable resource for generations to come.
FIND OUT MOREYour water bill can be higher than normal for a few different reasons. Use our checklist to find out what’s caused a higher bill and what to do next.
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