What are the water charges?

Water Meter Reading has been completed across all Isaac towns ahead of water notices being issued for the period between 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2022. Residents are encouraged to make payment by 5pm on Wednesday, 15 March 2023.

Council introduced the water charges to comply with the Local Government Act 2009.

They are made up of:

• Infrastructure Charge (previously Water Access Charge) that appears on your rate notices issued in March and September and;
• A Consumption Charge that is provided on separate water notices issued six-monthly and is based on the amount of water you use.

Differential pricing for Dysart, Glenden, and Middlemount reflects that Council does not own the raw water infrastructure in these communities or pay for the raw water from a third party.

Infrastructure Charge

Council levies the infrastructure charge as part of the bi-annual rates notice. This charge covers the cost of owning, operating, maintaining and managing the water supply facilities and network in eight communities across Isaac.

For details on the infrastructure charge and how it is calculated, please read Council’s Revenue Statement

Consumption Charge

A consumption charge is where you pay for the water you use. Meters will be read half-yearly and consumption charges will be charged on the water notice issued based on billing periods ending December and June each financial year.

For details on the consumption charge and how it is calculated, please read Council’s Revenue Statement

Save Water, Save Money

Ratepayers can sign up to MiWater. This is a handy tool that provides water consumption information. Email and SMS alerts can be set so ratepayers are notified of water leaks and high consumption within days of occurrence.

Register for water notices to be emailed

Ratepayers who have encountered delays with the postal service in their area can register their email address with Council for an additional water notice to be issued electronically. Council encourages ratepayers to update their postal details with Council to ensure water notices arrive on time. Call 1300 ISAACS (1300 472 227) to register.

For more details, read our Frequently Asked Questions, read Council’s Revenue Statement or contact Council’s Customer Service Centre available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Concealed Leak Remission Application Form (PDF, 113.3KB)

What happens when buying or selling a property?

If you are buying or selling a property in the Isaac region, we suggest contacting your solicitor or conveyancer to ensure they request a special water meter reading from Isaac Regional Council prior to settlement.
This special water meter reading will provide your solicitor or conveyancer with the relevant information to identify and calculate all the water usage and access charges incurred by the previous owner up to the date of settlement.
This ensures the purchase price of the property is adjusted according to the charges on the special water meter reading at the time of settlement.

If you are purchasing, please note that when you receive your water bill for your new property, it may still include the water usage and access charges of the previous owner (the charges will vary depending on when you purchased the property).
If charges are applicable when you receive the new account, these charges will be payable by you, as you should have already been reimbursed for the previous owner’s charges in the settlement process outlined above.
The calculations for the reimbursement are detailed on the Settlement Statement provided by your solicitor or conveyancer. As your solicitor or conveyancer is responsible for ensuring this has occurred please contact them if you have any questions.