IPART sets the maximum prices that Essential Water can charge its customers for water and wastewater services.
We also set the maximum prices that WaterNSW can charge customers for water transportation services provided by the Murray River to Broken Hill pipeline.
The prices we set for both reviews will apply from 1 July 2026.
We will conduct a detailed and consultative process
Our Issues Paper provides relevant background information and identifies key issues to assist stakeholders in understanding both Essential Water’s and WaterNSW's pricing proposals published on 28 October 2025.
We welcome your feedback on the pricing proposals by completing our survey or making a submission to the Issues Paper. The survey and submissions to our Issues Paper close on 1 December 2025.
We will hold a public hearing for this review on 24 November 2025 in Broken Hill. If you wish to attend this event, please register here.
We will closely review both pricing proposals to determine whether they promote value for money, are in the interests of customers, and deliver the outcomes customers need and want. We do this by thoroughly examining the costs and carefully considering, for example, impacts of both pricing proposals on household budgets, service standards, the environment, and the economy more broadly.
Our Handbook provides further information on our Water Regulation framework.
What has Essential Water proposed?
- Bills increasing by around 15% annually for 2026-31 (plus inflation)
- Maintaining the water and wastewater usage charge (plus inflation)
- Increasing the water service charge by 26% annually (plus inflation)
- Increasing the wastewater service charge by 17% for residential customers and 21% for non-residential customers annually (plus inflation)
- Increased operating expenditure of $102.2 million ($2025-26) over the 5-year period for 2026-31
- Increased capital investment of $252.2 million ($2025-26) for over the 5-year period 2026-31.
What has WaterNSW proposed?
- Bills increasing by 4.2% on average annually for Essential Water for 2026-31 (plus inflation)
- Bills increasing by 3.1% on average annually for offtake customers for 2026-31 (plus inflation).