Water consumers

Water sprinkler

 

The Water Industry Act 2012 (WI Act) establishes the regulatory framework for the water and sewerage industry covering economic regulation, technical regulation, consumer protection and customer complaint handling.

The WI Act commenced on 1 July 2012 and governs all water industry entities providing “retail services” to South Australian customers.

The Commission is responsible for the economic regulation of urban water and sewerage services in South Australia. The Commission’s role includes industry licensing, consumer protection and retail pricing.

Have further questions?

Search the sections below to find out more about your water supply in South Australia. 


icon-water Information for SA Water customers

SA Water

SA Water is the primary service provider of drinking water and sewerage retail services to most South Australian customers. SA Water provides essential water and sewerage services to approximately 1.7 million South Australians.

SA Water holds a water retail licence, issued under the WI Act, which authorises it to provide water and sewerage retail services to customers in South Australia. 

To ensure that the quality and reliability of services valued by customers are being provided by SA Water, the Commission:

  • establishes consumer protection frameworks to promote the delivery of levels of service valued by consumers, and 
  • keeps SA Water accountable by monitoring and reporting on its performance and being prepared to take enforcement action where necessary.

SA Water must use its best endeavours to achieve the service reliability targets relating to the following areas:

  • customer service 
  • connections
  • response (attendance), and
  • restoration.

The Water Retail Code – Major retailers sets out minimum obligations aimed at protecting SA Water’s customers. 

Charging for water and/or sewerage services

SA Water can generally charge customers for water and sewerage services under the following arrangements:

  • by implementing a standard customer contract, approved by the Commission, or
  • by entering into a contract with certain non-residential customers for the supply of retail services. 

A contract for the supply of water and/or sewerage services should contain all the terms and conditions that apply to the retail service.  

For standard customer contracts, the provisions of section 36 of the WI Act permits contractual arrangements between retailers and customers to be established through the publishing of that contract in the South Australian Government Gazette. 

Under this arrangement, customers do not sign an individual contract. The Commission requires that SA Water publishes its standard customer contract on its website. 

SA Water is required to comply with the consumer protection requirements in the Water Retail Code - Major Retailers.

Pricing

The Commission has made a regulatory determination to apply to SA Water for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2024 (SAWRD20). 

SAWRD20 includes:

  • a price determination that sets maximum revenues SA Water can earn from its customers over that four-year period for drinking water retail services and sewerage retail services and specifies pricing principles for excluded retail services.
  • service standards and other customer service obligations set out in the Water Retail Code - Major Retailers that SA Water must meet during the four-year regulatory period.

Further information is available in the SA Water Regulatory Determination 2020.

The Commission will make a new regulatory determination to apply to the water and sewage services provided by SA Water from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2028: SA Water Regulatory Determination 2024 (SAWRD24).

SA Water’s prices and tariffs are set by SA Water in accordance with the South Australian Government pricing policies. Please refer to SA Water’s website for further information on water and sewerage service prices and tariffs. 

 

Restrictions, disconnections and restoration of supply

Under the Water Retail Code - Major Retailers:

  • SA Water is prohibited from disconnecting a customers’ water or sewerage service as a result of non-payment of bills by a customer.  
  • SA Water is able to restrict the flow of water services (to a prescribed minimum flow rate) for non-payment of bills but must have first give a customer all reasonable opportunities to enter into flexible payment arrangements first. 
  • Where a customer has had their water flow restricted, SA Water is required to meet minimum timeframes to reinstate a customers’ water supply once all payment issues have been rectified.
 

Water and sewerage service charging where no supply is used (residential)

Under the WI Act, a water industry entity may be able to:

  • charge customers for a retail service that is connected and available to a customer’s land or property (even if the service is not actually used), or
  • impose a charge on land or property that is not connected to a retail service (often called an availability charge or rating on abuttal).

Read the fact sheet to learn more about water and sewerage service charging where no supply is used by residential customers.

Retailer supply obligations

SA Water must have policies and procedures for:  

  • dealing with customer connections
  • minimising interruptions, dealing with bursts, leaks, blockages, and spills
  • emergency reporting for customers, and  
  • estimation procedures where a retailer seeks to recover monies owed for illegal use of water retail services.

Customer information obligations

SA Water must: 

  • have a Customer Charter that informs customers of their basic rights and responsibilities
  • have Enquiry, Complaint and Dispute Resolution Procedures (including escalation of complaints to an independent dispute resolution body)
  • publicly provide pricing information, and
  • assist customers experiencing financial hardship in line with the Minister’s residential customer hardship policy.

Customer service obligations

SA Water must: 

  • meet minimum customer billing requirements (including offering customers minimum payment methods and flexible payment arrangements), and 
  • address billing disputes (including undercharging and overcharging) in a fair and reasonable way. 

Water concessions

Water and sewerage concessions are administered by the Department of Human Services (SA). To check your eligibility for current water and sewerage rates concessions, assistance, or advice:

Making complaints

If you have a query or complaint regarding your water bill you should first contact SA Water, so it is aware of your concerns and has an opportunity to attempt to resolve the issue.  SA Water’s contact details will be on your bill and are available on SA Water’s website.

If you are unsatisfied with the response provided by your retailer, you can contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman's website on free call 1800 665 565.

icon-water Information for customers in small-scale water networks

Small-scale water retailers

Some South Australians receive water and/or sewerage services from their local Council or a private operator other than SA Water.  Collectively, these retailers provide drinking and non-drinking water services to approximately 5,600 customers and sewerage services, and community wastewater management systems (CWMS), to approximately 99,200 customers.

View the complete list of all water retailers licensed by the Commission. 

These water retailers provide smaller-scale water and/or sewerage services than SA Water, including:

  • drinking and non-drinking water for local communities
  • sewerage services though Council operated CWMS, and
  • small recycled or reuse water schemes.

The Commission regulates the customer service and pricing aspects of small-scale water networks' operations. Small-scale water networks must comply with pricing, consumer protection and reporting requirements. The overall regime is summarised as:

  • Consumer protection measures – the water retail code for minor and intermediate retailers sets out the behavioural standards and minimum requirements to be complied with by small-scale water networks when engaging with their customers. 
  • Water and sewerage services prices – small-scale water networks must comply with pricing principles set by the Commission when developing their prices.
  • Performance assessment – reporting guidelines set out the Commission’s performance monitoring framework.

Water retailers granted an exemption from the requirement to hold a water retail licence under the WI Act must still comply with the requirements of the water retail code for minor and intermediate retailers and the WI Act, including consumer protections as set out in the code. View the complete list of exempt water retailers

Charging for water and/or sewerage services

Retailers can generally charge customers for water and sewerage services under the following arrangements:

  • as a component of a rate notice issued under the Local Government Act 1999 (LG Act). This can apply to all the customers of a Council’s retail services
  • by implementing a standard customer contract, approved by the Commission. This is mandatory for retailers supplying residential customers, but is optional for retailers supplying non-residential customers, or
  • by entering into a contract with a non-residential customer for the supply of retail services. 

A contract for the supply of water and/or sewerage services should contain all the terms and conditions that apply to the retail service.  

For standard customer contracts, the provisions of section 36 of the WI Act permits contractual arrangements between retailers and customers to be established through the publishing of that contract in the South Australian Government Gazette. 

Under this arrangement, customers (including from SA Water, some Councils, and private operators) do not sign an individual contract. The Commission requires that retailers publish standard customer contracts on their websites. 

All retailers are required to comply with the consumer protection requirements in the water retail code for minor and intermediate water retailers, regardless if you are charged under a contract (standard or non-standard) or as a component of a rate notice issued under the LG Act.

 

Pricing

The Commission has made a minor and intermediate retailers price determination which applies to small-scale water and sewerage service retailers.

The price determination requires minor and intermediate retailers to comply with the National Water Initiative Pricing Principles when charging for water and sewerage services, and report to the Commission on how they are complying with those principles.

Prices and tariffs are set by individual retailer’s in accordance with the minor and intermediate retailers price determination. Please refer to your retailer’s website for further information on water and/or sewerage service prices and tariffs. 

 

Restrictions, disconnections and restoration of supply

Under the water retail code for minor and intermediate water retailers:

  • Retailers are prohibited from disconnecting a customers’ water or sewerage services as a result of non-payment of bills by a customer.  
  • Retailers able to restrict the flow of water services rather than disconnecting a customer for non-payment of bills but must have first given a customer all reasonable opportunities to enter into more flexible payment arrangements first. 
  • Where a customer has had their water flow restricted, retailers are required to meet minimum timeframes to reinstate a customers’ water supply once the cause of the restriction has been rectified.
 

Water and sewerage service charging where no supply is used (residential)

Under the WI Act, a water industry entity may be able to:

  • charge customers for a retail service that is connected and available to a customer’s land or property (even if the service is not actually used), or
  • impose a charge on land or property that is not connected to a retail service (often called an availability charge or rating on abuttal).

Read the fact sheet to learn more about water and sewerage service charging where no supply is used by residential customers.

Retailer supply obligations

Retailers must have policies and procedures for:  

  • dealing with customer connections
  • minimising interruptions, dealing with bursts, leaks, blockages, and spills
  • emergency reporting for customers, and  
  • estimation procedures where a retailer seeks to recover monies owed for illegal use of water retail services.

Customer information obligations

Retailers must: 

  • have a Customer Charter that informs customers of their basic rights and responsibilities
  • have Enquiry, Complaint and Dispute Resolution Procedures (including escalation of complaints to an independent dispute resolution body)
  • publicly provide pricing information, and
  • assist customers experiencing financial hardship in line with the Minister’s residential customer hardship policy.

Customer service obligations

Retailers must: 

  • meet minimum customer billing requirements (including offering customers minimum payment methods and flexible payment arrangements), and 
  • address billing disputes (including undercharging and overcharging) in a fair and reasonable way. 

Water concessions

Water and sewerage concessions are administered by the Department of Human Services (SA). To check your eligibility for current water and sewerage rates concessions, assistance, or advice:

Making complaints

If you have a query or complaint regarding your water bill you should first contact your current water retailer, so they are aware of your concerns and have an opportunity to attempt to resolve the issue.  Your retailer’s contact details will be on your bill.

If you are unsatisfied with the response provided by your retailer, you can contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman on free call 1800 665 565.