Accounts and billing

We are here to help! Find a variety of billing solutions and answers to frequently asked questions.

Electronic billing

Go paperless - receive your bill via email. It's easy to register. Make the switch today!

Make the switch to electronic billing

Register for electronic billing to have your bill delivered straight to your inbox – making billing faster and more convenient.

Select your payment option

Credit Card

This is one of the fastest and most convenient ways to pay your bill.

Please note: A fee of 0.4% applies to Visa/Mastercard payments and a 1.2% surcharge applies to American Express payments.

To pay with a credit card you need your customer reference number, which can be found on the lower half of the second page of your bill in the ‘Payment advice slip’.

Customer reference number payment slip

Direct Debit

Sign up for direct debit for a convenient and fee-free way to pay your water bill on time! Your bill amount will be automatically debited from your nominated bank account on the due date. It’s easy to sign up! Simply complete the direct debit form (PDF, 134.93 KB) and send it back to us.

Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions

How does it work?

Once your direct debit form is processed, our billing team will confirm your registration via email and send you a copy of the service agreement (PDF, 125.92 KB) as it applies to you.

We will continue to send you a bill as per your usual billing cycle that provides you with a detailed overview of your charges. This bill is just for your reference and the exact amount of your bill will be automatically debited from your account on the due date.

Direct debit is only available using a bank account and cannot be linked to a credit or debit card at this stage.

What if I have more than one licence?

If you have more than one licence, you will need to complete a separate direct debit form (PDF, 134.93 KB) for each licence. This provides you with the flexibility to manage your accounts in the way that works best for you.

What if there are multiple licence holders?

All licence holders need to agree to direct debit and will be required to sign the registration form before the direct debit can be processed.

What happens if my payment doesn’t go through?

Insufficient funds: If your direct debit doesn’t go through due to insufficient funds, we will send you a letter advising that we will attempt to debit your account again in three days. If the second debit attempt is unsuccessful, we will cancel your direct debit agreement. We will not charge a dishonoured payment fee for insufficient funds, but you may be charged by your financial institution.

Closed bank account: If your direct debit doesn’t go through due to a closed bank account, we will send you a letter acknowledging that your direct debit agreement has been cancelled. In order to reinstate your direct debit agreement using a new bank account, you will need to complete a new direct debit form (PDF, 134.93 KB).

Late fees: If we cancel your direct debit agreement for the reasons above and you do not pay your bill another way, your account may be subject to interest or a late payment fee.

How do I change my details or cancel direct debit?

If you would like to change your direct debit arrangement, please complete a new direct debit form and send it to accounts.receivable@waternsw.com.au.

If you would like to cancel your direct debit agreement with WaterNSW, please submit a request to us in writing via email: accounts.receivable@waternsw.com.au

or by mail:

WaterNSW
PO Box 1018
Dubbo NSW 2830

Where can I find more about direct debit?

If you still aren’t sure you’re ready to sign up, contact our friendly Customer Service Centre for more information.

BPay

To use BPAY you need the biller code and customer reference number, which can be found on the lower half of the second page of your bill.

Bpay reference image

Australia Post

Pay your bill in person at an Australia Post Office by presenting your payment slip.

Aust Post reference image

Understanding your bill

As part of our ongoing effort to make billing easier for you, a summary of your charges can be found on page one of your bill. We have also created the below explainers to help you understand your bills better:

More about your bill

WaterNSW issues bills in arrears that include your entitlement charges as well with any usage charges that have taken place during the bill period. A billing period summary is found below:

Customer
type
Bills per year Usage & billing period Month of issue* Entitlement
charge
(per share)
Annual charges Meter charges
Regulated
and Greater Sydney
4 July to Sep (Q1) December (Q1) Full entitlement - Divided over your 4 quarterly bills Billed in Q4 Billed in Q4
Oct to Dec
(Q2)
February (Q2)
Jan to Mar (Q3) May (Q3)
Apr to June (Q4) August (Q4)
Unregulated 1 July to June September Full entitlement - Annual Billed annually Billed annually
Groundwater 1 July to June October Full entitlement - Annual Billed annually Billed annually
Fish River (Minors) 2 July to Dec (1st) ** February (1st) N/A Access charge calculated based on the Minimum Annual quantity (MAQ), divided over your bi-annual bills N/A
Jan to Jun (2nd) ** August (2nd)

Disclaimers:

* Due to unforeseeable delays caused by environmental factors and operational impacts, the month of issue is a guide only.

** Fish River (Minors) - Usage up to 200kl within the financial year incurs charges at the standard usage rate per kl. Usage exceeding 200kl will be subject to the excess usage rate per kl.

How long do I get to pay my bill and what is the interest charge?

All accounts are payable, in full, within 30 days of the date of issue.

If your account is not paid by the due date, interest will be charged on the outstanding amount. Interest is charged on overdue bills in accordance with the current rate of 10.35%, which has been set by the Supreme Court of NSW. Interest will be charged even if you have negotiated a payment plan with WaterNSW.

What happens if you don't pay your bill?

When your bill remains outstanding, and you have not contacted us to arrange for assistance, we will undertake a process to enact recovery.

We will give you every opportunity to pay your bill. We do this by providing you with 30 days to pay your bill and a payment reminder notice should the bill become overdue.

If your bill remains unpaid at the end of the payment reminder process, we will refer your account to Revenue NSW for debt recovery action under the State Debt Recovery Act 2018 (NSW). Debt recovery costs will become payable.

If you are a water licence holder, we will also consider suspending your licence. This means that you cannot order, extract or trade water. Before the licence suspension is lifted you will be required to pay the overdue amount in full.

If you are not a holder of a water licence, we may disconnect your water supply, per your agreement with us.

The suspension and lifting of the suspension need to be lodged with NSW Land Registry Services (LRS) and could take up to 10 days to be processed.

Our aim is to avoid suspension or disconnection where possible. We would prefer that you contact us early and arrange payment support. WaterNSW will honour any arrangement in place and refrain from debt recovery processes during this period.

If you are not satisfied with WaterNSW's response

If you feel that our actions are not appropriate, you may refer your complaint to one of our managers. If you are still dissatisfied you may refer matters to the Energy & Water Ombudsman of NSW (EWON).

EWON provides an independent dispute resolution service for customers of electricity, gas and water providers in NSW. This service is free of charge to you. EWON can be contacted via telephone 1800 246 545 or on their website.

If you feel that your bill is incorrect, please contact our Customer Service Centre. You will need to quote your customer account number when contacting us about your bill.

Billing terms and conditions

Billing services

These terms and conditions apply to the delivery of bills, debt notices and account statements to you by post (paper bills) and via email (electronic billing).

These terms and conditions apply separately and in addition to the terms of any other agreement you may have in place with WaterNSW and if applicable, our website terms of use. These terms and conditions do not and are not intended to vary, waive or replace any of those other terms.

If these terms and conditions are in any way inconsistent with the terms of any other agreement between you and WaterNSW and our website terms of use, these terms and conditions prevail but only to the extent of any inconsistency in relation to you receiving your bill.

Bill formats and other billing information

WaterNSW will, where possible with your consent, send you a bill, statement or debt notice by email. Emails sent to you for billing purposes will contain an attachment which, when opened by you, will let you view a complete version of your bill, statement or debt notice.

If you sign up for WaterNSW electronic billing, this means you will receive electronically your bills, account statements and any debt notices for late payments for a water licence that you have registered for electronic billing. If you hold multiple water licences and register each of these for electronic billing, you will receive an electronic bill for each different water licence.

You can opt out of electronic billing at any time. Once you notify WaterNSW, it may take up to 10 business days to cancel to your electronic bill subscription. During that time, WaterNSW will continue to send bills, account statements and debt notices to your nominated email address. You can choose to receive a paper bill, account statement or debt notice by post or an email with an attachment of your notice from WaterNSW.

If you have previously registered for and would like to opt out of electronic billing, you can do so by contacting our Customer Service Centre.

WaterNSW’s responsibilities to customers

WaterNSW will use its best endeavours to deliver your bill, account statement or debt notice to your nominated address. At times, there may be events or circumstances beyond the control of WaterNSW preventing or delaying delivery of a bill, account statement or debt notice to your nominated address.

If WaterNSW is unable to deliver a bill, account statement or debt notice to your nominated address, the following alternative measures may apply:

WaterNSW will send bills to your nominated address in accordance with the normal billing cycle.

Customers’ responsibilities to WaterNSW

You agree it is your responsibility to:

Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions

Unless you advise WaterNSW otherwise or in the event these terms and conditions cease to apply, when you become a customer of WaterNSW, you agree:

Changing the Terms and Conditions

WaterNSW may change its terms and conditions from time to time. If WaterNSW does so, you will be given notice of the change and the date of the change. The terms and conditions will be deemed to be amended to reflect that change. WaterNSW will notify you of changes via your nominated address.

These terms and conditions will cease to apply if:

Miscellaneous

These terms and conditions do not exclude, limit or modify any:

to the extent we are prohibited by law from excluding, limiting or modifying them.

WaterNSW does not warrant, guarantee or represent any bill sent to your nominated email address will be free from computer viruses or any other defect or error which may affect your software or computer systems.

WaterNSW collects, uses and discloses personal information and as set out in the Privacy Policy.