Payments and billing

Our bills include fixed charges that help to cover the cost of the sewerage and water services provided to each property, plus a variable rate based on the amount of water that is used each day. Visit the understanding your bill page to find out more.

Water bills are issued three times per year. The periods for which they are issued are:

• 1 July to 31 October
• 1 November to 28 February
• 1 March to 30 June

Compared to metropolitan water corporations, we have fewer customers to pay for our pipelines, pump stations and treatment plants. This can result in higher bills for regional customers.

For example, we have on average 19 customers to pay for each km of pipeline, while a typical metropolitan water corporation has 31 customers across the same distance. Because they have more customers to pay for each km of pipeline, the cost for each customer is lower. This is reflected in their water bills.

With a lot of smaller towns spread over a large area, we also need additional pump stations and treatment plants to service these small communities.

We are conscious of balancing our costs with delivering a high quality and reliable service to a widely spread population.

There are many reasons why your water use may increase and decrease throughout the year. Some of these could be due to:

Season

Water use tends to increase over the warmer months, so remember to compare your bill with the same time last year, rather than with your previous bill.

More people in the house

Have you had guests stay over? Extra people in your household will increase your consumption.

Leaks

Leaks can occur anywhere on your property. They can go unnoticed and can waste a lot of water.

Leaks can be caused by dripping taps, a running toilet cistern, a burst pipe under the house or underground in the garden, faulty appliances including evaporative coolers, solar and regular hot water systems, or new installed, faulty or incorrectly programmed dripper systems.

To check for leaks, take the 15 minute leak test. Write down the current reading on your water meter, both the black and red numbers Ensure all taps in your property are turned off. Wait 15 minutes, then write down the meter reading again. If any of the dials have moved, in particular the red numbers, you may have a leak and should contact a plumber to investigate further.

The scale of your graph does change depending on the volume of usage you have incurred on your previous bills. It is important to check the scale in which your graph has been listed. This also varies due to the number of days in each billing period.

The tariffs were set through an ESC process called the 2023 Water Price Review. Our Price Submission proposal was submitted to the ESC as part of this process. The Price Submission proposal outlined our service outcomes and obligations, operational and capital expenditure, and the proposed tariffs for the five-year period from July 2023 to June 2028.

You'll need to call us to get a refund application form. The form needs to be completed and signed by everyone listed on the account.

Yes. In order to move a credit from one account to another, all account holders where the credit is located will need to provide permission either verbally or in writing to move the credit from their account to another.

There are a number of ways you can pay your bill including: 

• Direct Debit
• BPAY
• Online using your Mastercard or Visa card on our secure Westpac page
• Centrepay to make regular deductions from your Centrelink payments
• Easyway payment card if you are in a payment plan with us.

Visit our payment methods and options page for more details.

You can set up a Direct Debit by going to our Direct Debit sign up page and complete our online form. You can also call us.  

Some of our customers in Drouin and part of Neerim South, west of the ridge, receive an annual Waterways and Drainage charge from South East Water.

The Waterways and Drainage Charge is not related to our water and sewerage charges. The charge is a separate charge collected by the local water retailers on Melbourne Water’s behalf.

Visit Melbourne Water's website for information about the Waterways and Drainage Charge.