Accounts and billing

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

Electronic billing

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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.

Register for electronic billing

Watch our video to see just how easy it is to make the switch to electronic billing.


Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of electronic billing?

  • Save time – receive your bill as soon as it is ready.
  • View your bill on your phone, tablet or computer.
  • Stay organised – easily search your previous bills in your inbox.
  • Share your bill easily.
  • Reduce clutter and excess paperwork.
  • Make a positive impact on the environment.

How does it work?
Complete the registration form and expect your next bill via email. If there are any issues with your registration, we will contact you.

When you receive your bill via email, there will be a PDF attachment with your full WaterNSW bill, our customer newsletter and any important updates. See an example of your electronic billing email.  Please note you will receive a separate email for each water licence/approval you hold, just like your paper bill.

How do I make changes?
To switch back to paper bills or change your email address, please contact our Customer Service Centre.

What should I do if I don’t receive my electronic bill?
If you haven’t received your electronic bill to your inbox, please check your spam or junk folders. If you still cannot locate your electronic bill, please contact our Customer Service Centre.

Select your payment option

Credit Card

Direct Debit

BPay

Australia Post

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Credit Card

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

Pay by credit/debit card

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

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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 and send it back to us.

Sign up for direct debit

Benefits

  • Set and forget
  • Stay on top of bills
  • Avoid late fees and charges
  • Quick and easy set up

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 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 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.

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.

You can also refer to the direct debit service agreement.

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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

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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

Billing cycles

WaterNSW issues bills that represent your entitlement charges as well with any usage charges that have taken place during the bill period. The billing periods are below:

Regulated and Greater Sydney water customers: Your bills are issued quarterly in arrears where you will pay your annual entitlement charges in four instalments during the year, on top of any water charges that you have used during that quarter. Your bills will be issued in February, May, August and November of each year.

Groundwater and unregulated water customers: Your bills are issued annually in arrears where you will pay your annual entitlement in full in one bill, along with any water charges from the prior year. Your annual bill will be issued in September (groundwater) and October (unregulated) of each year.

Fish River customers: Your bills are issued bi-annually in arrears where you will be billed for the minimum annual quantity, along with any water charges from the prior 6 months. Your bi-annual bill will be issued in February and August of each year.

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.

We will send you a reminder notice(s) and overdue notice(s) if your bill is overdue. If you do not pay your bill, WaterNSW may suspend your licence which will affect your ability to order and take water.

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.

Billing errors

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:

  • If your nominated email address is compromised and you have provided a mailing address to WaterNSW, a bill, account statement or debt notice will be sent to your mailing address.
  • If your nominated mailing address is compromised and you have provided an email address to WaterNSW, a bill, account statement or debt notice will be sent to your email address.
  • WaterNSW may contact you by telephone to ask you to nominate an alternate address.

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:

  • let WaterNSW know as soon as possible if your nominated address details change
  • check your nominated address facility, whether a post box or your email address inbox, for your bill, account statement or debt notice which is sent to you in accordance with the normal billing cycle
  • let WaterNSW know if you do not receive a bill, account statement or debt notice during that time you would normally receive a bill, account statement or debt notice in the normal billing cycle
  • check the junk/spam folders of your email folder inbox to see if your bill, account statement or debt notice has been delivered to these folders
  • make sure there is sufficient space in your nominated email account to receive your bill, account statement or debt notice.
  • ensure your nominated address facility is secure to protect the privacy of any personal information in your bill, account statement or debt notice.
  • pay your bill, account statement or debt notice by no later than the due date set out in the notice, whether or not you have received, read and accessed your bill, account statement or debt notice.

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:

  • that if you are a new customer, to receive all WaterNSW bills, account statement or debt notices via your nominated email address and in accordance with these terms and conditions
  • that if you are an existing customer and you set up a new account with WaterNSW, your bills, account statement or debt notice will be sent to your nominated email address unless you advise WaterNSW you do not have an email address or if you choose to receive a paper bill, account statement or debt notice.
  • to collection of data that lets WaterNSW know you have accessed the email and material sent with the email and with the understanding WaterNSW may use that data for future business purposes.

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:

  • they are cancelled
  • any agreement you have with WaterNSW has been terminated or has expired and you have not entered into a new agreement with WaterNSW.

Miscellaneous

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

  • rights of recovery to compensation you may have under Australian Consumer Laws
  • other rights of recovery to compensation you may have under the law, including under the WaterNSW Customer Service Charter and/or your agreement with WaterNSW
  • other conditions, warranty or guarantee (including the Australian Consumer Laws)

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.

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When you are having difficulties paying your water bill, you should contact us a soon as possible.

Options we can offer you include:

  • An extension of up to 3 months.
  • A payment arrangement to pay the account in regular instalments over a period of 3 months.
  • In some circumstances WaterNSW will allow a payment plan of longer than 3 months. This will require some evidence of hardship. You should contact WaterNSW to discuss details of what is required (see below).

Important information to note:

  • We will consider your current circumstances and payment history when assessing an appropriate payment arrangement, but we cannot reduce the amount you pay.
  • In considering these options you should note that overdue accounts attract interest charges.
  • WaterNSW does not provide pensioner concessions as a water licence is deemed to be for a commercial purpose.

To be eligible for a deferred payment plan longer than 3 months, you must satisfy one or more of the following conditions:

  • You are receiving direct benefits from the Commonwealth Exceptional Circumstances Scheme.
  • You are receiving benefits under a state-operated drought (or other natural disaster) relief scheme.
  • You are suffering conditions arising from a drought of record in your valley/area and have no carryover water or access to other water.
  • You are experiencing conditions that create a direct and significant impact on your ability to pay water charges.

Your application must be supported by one or more of the following:

  • Documentary evidence from Centrelink or the Rural Assistance Authority that demonstrates financial hardship.
  • Evidence that farm income has been reduced by at least 70% due to the abnormal conditions being experienced.
  • A statutory declaration of off-farm income and investment levels, with evidence that annual off-farm income is less than $20,000 per annum.
  • Evidence that you have attempted to trade any available water on the temporary or permanent market, eg copies of water transfer applications.

We carefully and confidentially consider all applications to defer payments. However, requests for negotiated payments are not automatically approved.

Affordability Assistance / Support

We are committed to helping customers who may require affordability assistance to keep their water flowing. We call it affordability when customers would like to pay their water charges but really cannot manage to do so.

If you are having trouble paying your WaterNSW bill, contact us as soon as possible as we have a range of options that may be of help to you. We will help you identify options and solutions to sort out the bill before the next one is due, so you can keep debts at a more manageable level. We will consider your current circumstances and payment history when assessing an appropriate payment arrangement. We cannot reduce the amount you pay. Where your bill remains outstanding, and you have not contacted us to arrange for assistance we will undertake a process to ensure recovery.

To find out more please contact our Customer Service Centre. For further information please read our WaterNSW Debt management code of practice (PDF, 230.61 KB)

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