UNDERSTANDING
YOUR WATER BILL
Not all water bills look the same, but regardless, each bill
must include certain information as legislated by the Victorian
Water Act.
What every water bill must include:
1 the postal address (this may be different to the supply
address)
2 contact details to make an enquiry with the water
corporation, and a 24 hour emergency phone number
3 the bill issue date
4 the water supply address (where the usage is consumed)
5 the account number
6 the date the bill payment is due
7 the amount to pay
8 the total of any amounts paid since the last bill
9 any amount outstanding from the last bill
10 the average daily rate of water used at the property for
the billing period
11 the date the meter was read, or a clear notice stating that
the reading was an estimate
12 if the water corporation intends to charge interest on
outstanding amounts, there must be a clear statement of
the rate of interest and from what date it will be applied
13 the ways in which the bill can be paid (e.g. Centrepay,
BPAY, Direct Debit)
14 information about the help available to customers who
are having difficulty paying their bill
15 information on concessions that the customer may be
entitled to
16 contact details for interpreter services.
Charges explained:
a Usage Charges
i Water Usage charges are taken from your water
meter reading and are based on the amount of water
used at the property.
ii The Sewage Disposal charge comes from the col-
lection, treatment and disposal of sewage from the
property.
b Service Charges
The Water Service and Sewage Service charges are flat
fees and contribute to the maintenance of the systems
that deliver and dispose of water and sewage.
c Other Authority Charges
These are charges collected by water corporations on
behalf of other bodies. Depending on where you live,
you may be charged different fees and for different
services than those shown on this sample bill - so
have a look at your bill to find out. Below are two
Other Authority Charges that will be found on a typical
metropolitan water bill.
The Waterways and Drainage Charge is a quarterly
fee, collected on behalf of Melbourne Water. This
goes towards protecting waterways as well as flood
protection.
The Parks Charge is collected on an annual basis on behalf
of Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning.
This goes towards the upkeep of Melbourne’s public
spaces, such as parks, gardens, memorials and more.
Several water companies offer sample bills to help
their customers better understand the layout:
• Central Highlands Water
• East Gippsland Water
• North East Water
• South East Water
• South Gippsland Water
• Western Water
• Yarra Valley Water
 EXAMPLE
WATER
COMPANY

Mr and Mrs Example 1 2 Pay your bill: 1234 567 8910

105 MADEUP STREET Account enquiries: 123 456
MELBOURNE VIC 3456 Faults: 123 456 (24 hours)

Account summary
3 Issued 15 December 2015

4 Supply address
105 MADEUP STREET
MELBOURNE VIC 3456
5 Account number 123456789

Property number 123/45678/910 Invoice number 123456789

6 Due date 30 December 2015

Last account $189.18

7 Amount $341.41

8 Payment received $189.18 cr

9 Balance $0

Average usage in litres per day 10

Example Water Company charges $247.54
300
250 260
240
Other authority charges $93.87 240 220 220

180

Concessions and discounts $0

120

60
Total due (GST does not apply) $341.41
0
Dec 2015 Mar 2015 Jun 2015 Sep 2015 Dec 2015
 Account details

Meter details

Meter number Current read Previous read Consumption (KJ)

MAF1234567 1120* 1082 38
(*estimated read) 11
Usage charges
a
Water usage i Sewage disposal ii Total
$95.53 $40.23 $135.76

Service charges
b
Water service charge Sewage service charge Total
$26.94 $84.84 $111.78

Other authority charges

c
Parks Waterways and drainage (on behalf of Melbourne Water) Total
$70.62 $23.25 $93.87

Total charges $341.41

Penalty interest of 7.6% p.a. will accrue on account balances that remain unpaid
12 14 days after the payment due date

Your payment options 13 Need more time to pay? 14

You may be eligible for payment assistance, including Victorian Government
concessions, rebates and grants, the Centrepay scheme, an instalment plan or
Direct Debit 15 extended time to pay.
BPAY
To find out more: 13 12 34
www.examplewater.com/concessions
Credit Card Post Billpay
Interpreter Service
13 14 50
16
Mail a Cheque Centrepay Hearing Impaired (TTY)
133 307 245 and quote 1300 123 123