Fees and charges
Your bill is made up of different types of charges – usage, system and charges collected by Yarra Valley Water on behalf of other organisations.
Water and sewerage services play a significant part supporting our standard of living and protecting public health and the cost of providing these services is paid by our customers.
The prices are approved by the Essential Services Commission who are the independent economic regulator appointed by the State Government, and generally change on 1 July each year.
More about the price review and determination
Your bill pays for:
- Providing you with high quality water, 24/7.
- Removing sewage from your property and treating it safely and sustainably.
- Maintaining the water and sewer network infrastructure including repairing burst mains, and reinstating the surrounding area.
- Renewing or replacing pipes as they can deteriorate over time.
- Building major infrastructure projects to meet the needs of our growing city.
Find out how performance affects prices
Fees and charges for business customers
System charges
Water and sewerage system charges are fixed and billed quarterly to property owners. Bills are sent monthly to high usage customers.
| System charge | Price per annum |
|---|---|
| Water supply system charge | $307.10 |
| Sewerage system charge | $592.28 |
| Non-residential trunk service charge | $307.10 |
Usage charges
Water usage
We read your meter approximately every three months and bill you for the water used during that period.
Sewage disposal
All the water that goes down the kitchen, laundry, bathroom and wash basins, toilets and the wastewater from production process is called sewage. Depending on your type of business, you may have additional discharge outlets. It is difficult and expensive to have a meter installed in each property to record the volume of sewage discharged. Instead, we estimate the volume based on the amount of water supplied (water usage) minus a percentage of water that we estimate is used outside the property.
| Usage charges | Price per kilolitre |
|---|---|
| Water usage | $3.0477 |
| Sewage disposal | $2.1490 |
| Recycled water | $1.9259 |
| Unchlorinated water | $2.5631 |
Calculating your business' sewage disposal charge
- We recognise that some businesses use a portion of their water outside, or in a manufacturing process that does not discharge to the sewerage system. For this reason, consideration is provided for particular industries in calculating the sewage disposal charge.
- If you can provide us with evidence in writing that the standard calculation may have substantially overestimated the volume of water you dispose to the sewer, we can assess your business' account. Contact us at [email protected].
- A subsidiary meter can be installed at your own expense as an alternative method of assessing the volume of water you dispose to the sewer. This is recommended for business properties with particularly large grounds or gardens such as schools, reserves or sporting grounds.
Other authority charges
We collect the following charges for other authorities because it's cheaper than if they sent you a separate bill. These charges don't relate to the water and sewerage services you get from us.
Waterways and Drainage Charge
We collect this charge from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water. Melbourne Water uses the funds to manage rivers and creeks, the floodplains surrounding rivers and creeks, and the regional drainage system. Visit Melbourne Water for more information.
| Property type | 2024-25 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $122.09 |
| Rural | $67.03 |
| Non-residential (minimum charge) | $183.41 |
| Non-residential (rate in dollar) | 0.4914 |
Parks Charge
The Parks charge is collected quarterly. We collect this charge on behalf of Parks Victoria who uses the funds to maintain and enhance Victoria's parks, zoos, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance as well as many other community facilities. Visit Parks Victoria for more information.
The minimum annual Parks charge in 2024-25 is $87.19. The rate is $0.00510 per dollar of the property's Net Annual Value (NAV).
Fees and charges for residential customers with water and sewerage services
System charges
The water supply system charge is a fixed charge for running, maintaining and repairing water pipes and other infrastructure that store, treat and deliver water to your property. The sewerage system charge is a fixed charge for running, maintaining and repairing the sewerage system including sewer pipes and treatment plants.
The total annual charges below are collected in quarterly instalments which are calculated based on the number of days in each billing period.
| System charge | Price per annum |
|---|---|
| Water supply system charge | $82.77 |
| Sewerage system charge | $474.09 |
| Residential trunk service charge | $82.77 |
Usage charges
Water and sewer usage
We read your meter approximately every three months and bill you for the water used during that period.
From 1 July 2023, the water usage and sewage disposal charges combined into a single water usage charge. The water and sewer usage charge is the cost of water used at your property, including treating and delivering it. It also covers the cost of removing and treating sewage from your property - what goes down drains, sinks and toilets. Recycled water isn't included in this charge.
Combining sewage disposal and water usage into the rising step tariff charge is based on feedback customers gave us. Customers wanted us to make usage charges simpler, easier to understand and send a stronger water conservation signal. They also told us the sewage disposal charge was complex and difficult to understand.
| Usage charges | Price per kilolitre |
|---|---|
| Water and sewer usage | |
| Step 1 (0-440 litres per day) | $3.4342 |
| Step 2 (441-880 litres per day) | $4.5059 |
| Step 3 (881 or more litres per day) | $5.2350 |
| Recycled water | $1.9259 |
| Unchlorinated water | $2.5631 |
Other authority charges
We collect the following charges for other authorities because it's cheaper than if they sent you a separate bill. These charges don't relate to the water and sewerage services you get from us.
Waterways and Drainage Charge
We collect this charge from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water. Melbourne Water uses the funds to manage rivers and creeks, the floodplains surrounding rivers and creeks, and the regional drainage system. Visit Melbourne Water for more information.
| Property type | 2024-25 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $122.09 |
| Rural | $67.03 |
Parks Charge
The Parks charge is collected quarterly. We collect this charge on behalf of Parks Victoria who uses the funds to maintain and enhance Victoria's parks, zoos, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance as well as many other community facilities. Visit Parks Victoria for more information.
The minimum annual Parks charge in 2024-25 is $87.19. The rate is $0.00510 per dollar of the property's Net Annual Value (NAV).
Fees and charges for residential customers with water service only
System charges
The water supply system charge is a fixed charge for running, maintaining and repairing water pipes and other infrastructure that store, treat and deliver water to your property.
The total annual charges below are collected in quarterly instalments which are calculated based on the number of days in each billing period.
| System charge | Price per annum |
|---|---|
| Water supply system charge | $82.77 |
| Residential trunk service charge | $82.77 |
Usage charges
Water usage
We read your meter approximately every three months and bill you for the water used during that period. The water usage charge covers the cost of water used at your property including treating and delivering it.
| Usage charges | Price per kilolitre |
|---|---|
| Water usage | |
| Step 1 (0-440 litres per day) | $2.5631 |
| Step 2 (441-880 litres per day) | $3.2760 |
| Step 3 (881 or more litres per day) | $4.8534 |
| Recycled water | $1.9259 |
| Unchlorinated water | $2.5631 |
Other authority charges
We collect the following charges for other authorities because it's cheaper than if they sent you a separate bill. These charges don't relate to the water and sewerage services you get from us.
Waterways and Drainage Charge
We collect this charge from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water. Melbourne Water uses the funds to manage rivers and creeks, the floodplains surrounding rivers and creeks, and the regional drainage system. Visit Melbourne Water for more information.
| Property type | 2024-25 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $122.09 |
| Rural | $67.03 |
Parks Charge
The Parks charge is collected quarterly. We collect this charge on behalf of Parks Victoria who uses the funds to maintain and enhance Victoria's parks, zoos, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance as well as many other community facilities. Visit Parks Victoria for more information.
The minimum annual Parks charge in 2024-25 is $87.19. The rate is $0.00510 per dollar of the property's Net Annual Value (NAV).