The how and the why water charges increase
Shoalhaven Water manages over $2 billion worth of assets... working seven days, around the clock, ensuring the city’s water and sewerage network runs smoothly.
Our infrastructure (in part) includes:
- 4 dams
- 44 water reservoirs
- 13 sewer treatment plants
- 4 water treatment plants
- 28 water pumping stations
- 225 sewerage pumping stations
- 54,000 water meters connections
- A myriad of water and sewer mains that if placed end-to-end would stretch from Nowra to Brisbane… and back again!
Additional to maintaining our current resources, keeping pace with the city’s growing population requires an expansion of new urban services... modest price increases are inevitable.
To better understand your water account and assist in budgeting for the coming year, we’ve created an online bill calculator, that with your input, will display price comparisons. Click on the water charges calculator tab just below to find out more.
Find out more
We have collated a range of frequently asked questions to help understand the upcoming changes. We also welcome your feedback.
Using your latest water account, enter the details into the calculator below and compare your current bill against the proposed changes.
If you are unsure of where to find this information on your bill, follow this link to your water account explained.
Water charges typically rise because of several interrelated factors, including:
Aging infrastructure: Water systems require substantial maintenance and upgrades. This reduces the risk of catastrophic failure impacting the community. These works come at a high cost.
Rising operational expenses: Costs such as energy consumption, chemical treatments and labour have increased over time.
Regulatory and environmental requirements: Compliance with stricter environmental regulations often necessitates additional investment in technology and processes.
Capital works: Planning and design on two significant projects with construction to commence in 2030.
- Bamarang to Milton water trunk main (Stage 2) - $175m
- Northern Water recycling plant - $100m
The increased charges will affect your water bill in two ways:
Availability charges: All residential properties, including holiday homes and Air BNB's, will show an increase in their water and sewerage availability charges. By design, this will assist to off-set the per-unit cost of water, and sewerage services.
Water usage: Households with higher water consumption will likely see a more significant increase.
Refer to our water charges calculator tab to see how the changes will affect you.
Fundamentally, the decision is a budgetary statement approved by Shoalhaven City Council. In the need to maintain and improve the water and sewer systems, justifications include:
Ensuring reliable service: Upgrading infrastructure reduces leakages and service interruptions.
Investing in water quality: Better treatment processes and contamination controls are expensive but vital.
Long-term sustainability: Higher rates provide the required funding to ensure that the infrastructure and operations remains viable for future generations.
Economic efficiency: Charging based on actual usage can encourage responsible consumption and help cover hidden costs that might otherwise be subsidised.
We believe so. Calculated over the last 4 years the CPI (the average rate of inflation) is 5.1%. Across the same period the typical residential account with Shoalhaven Water has increased 4.8%.
Your first water account dated after 1 July 2025.
Being proactive can help mitigate the financial impact:
Adopting water conservation practices: Installing low-flow fixtures, fixing leaks promptly, and adopting mindful water usage habits.
Recycling and reusing: Some households invest in greywater systems for non-potable uses.
Upgrading appliances: Energy and water efficient appliances can reduce consumption over the long term.
Shoalhaven Water offers financial assistance to residential customers who are having difficulty paying their water accounts. If this is you, you may be eligible for vouchers to assist with the water usage component of your water account.
Payment Assistance Scheme: Any residential property owner or tenant connected to our town water supply who has an unpaid water account, is able to apply for payment assistance.
Vouchers: Payment vouchers are issued and distributed through community agencies. You don’t need to be a pre-existing client of an agency to gain this support.
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Higher charges can indirectly promote sustainable resource management by:
Encouraging conservation: When consumers face higher costs for wasteful usage, they’re more likely to adopt conservation measures.
Supporting drought resilience: Our Reclaimed Water Management Scheme (REMS) is a wastewater recycling scheme designed to beneficially reuse treated wastewater on local farms, sporting fields and golf courses.
* Noting in the table below the amount shown for Shoalhaven includes the proposed charge for financial year 2026, whilst all other totals are for the current financial year. No assumptions have been made on any proposed change to the other Local Water Utilities.
| Water Utility |
Fixed charge
(per annum)
|
Usage charge
(per kL)
|
| Hunter Water |
$27.58 |
$2.89 |
| Sydney Water |
$67.60 |
$2.67 |
| Shoalhaven Water FY2026 |
$173.00 |
$2.85 |
| Coffs Harbour |
$166.00 |
$3.55 |
| Port Macquarie-Hastings |
$190.00 |
$3.98 |
| Bega |
$300.00 |
$3.77 |
| Mid Coast |
$358.00 |
$3.96 |
| Eurobodalla |
$390.00 |
$4.10 |
You can provide feedback through Get Involved Shoalhaven, Council's online community engagement space.
Discover what's in our DRAFT Delivery Program and Operational Plan which explains the work we'll be doing to achieve the goals set out in our Shoalhaven Community Strategic Plan.
Get Involved Shoalhaven