IPART has set the maximum prices Sydney Water and WaterNSW can charge for water and related services in the Greater Sydney Region from October 2025.
Tribunal Chair Carmel Donnelly said the Tribunal has approved increases to enable water infrastructure and services to meet community expectations by delivering safe, reliable water services to customers and to keep pace with Sydney’s growth.
“IPART has set maximum prices that mean customers only pay what it costs for these services to be efficiently delivered,” she said. “The Tribunal carefully considered a range of issues, including cost of living impacts, the need for safe, reliable water services, and the efficient level of funding required.”
“The Tribunal’s decisions will mean a typical household’s yearly Sydney Water bill for water and wastewater services will increase by $168 in 2025-26.
We recognise these increased bills come at a time of cost-of-living pressures and are likely to be challenging for some customers. IPART has recommended the Government expand eligibility for water bill rebates to include all Health Care Card and Low Income Health Care Card holders.
“The maximum prices we have set provide Sydney Water and WaterNSW with an average of $548 million and $36 million respectively in extra revenue each year to invest in the delivery of reliable and safe services for customers throughout Greater Sydney.”
Under IPART’s decisions, the typical average household bill will increase by 11.8% plus inflation, or 13.8% including inflation, in 2025-26 and then by an average of 5.1% each year until 2030, plus inflation, rising from $1,220 in 2024-25 to:
- $1,388 in 2025-26
- $1,695 in 2029-30.
“We noted at the start of the review process that Sydney Water proposed a typical residential bill would be $1,472, rising to $1,913 plus inflation in 2029-30. The new maximum prices we have set will mean that while the typical household bill rises, it is $84 lower in 2025-26 than proposed by Sydney Water. By 2029-30, the typical bill will be $218 lower than proposed by Sydney Water.”
WaterNSW supplies bulk water to Sydney Water and the average amount Sydney Water pays WaterNSW for the water provided to a typical household will increase from $94 per year now, to $102 in 2025-26, then to $136 in 2028-29.
IPART’s final reports on WaterNSW's maximum prices in Greater Sydney and on Sydney Water's maximum prices are available from www.ipart.nsw.gov.au.