IPART is reviewing the maximum prices that Sydney Water can charge customers to provide water, wastewater, stormwater, and other services. The prices we set in this review will apply from 1 October 2025 to 30 June 2030.
We recognise that access to safe, reliable and affordable water at a fair price is critical to our communities, environment and economy
Customers should pay only what Sydney Water requires to efficiently deliver the services its customers need. Our aim is to hold Sydney Water accountable in a way that delivers good short, medium, and long-term customer outcomes.
Under the IPART Act, when reviewing water prices, we are required to consider a range of matters, including:
- the cost of providing the service
- consumer protection against abuse of monopoly power by a water utility
- the need to promote competition in the supply of the service
- the need for greater efficiency in the supply of the service to reduce costs to consumers and taxpayers
- appropriate rates of return on public sector assets
- the social impact of our determinations
- the need to maintain ecologically sustainable development and protect the environment.
We have published our Draft Report
Under our draft maximum prices, bills for typical household customers receiving water and wastewater services would increase on average by $61 or 4.6% plus inflation each year for 5 years. This would see typical household bills increasing from $1,220 in 2024-25 to $1,527 plus inflation by 2029-30. This is lower than the yearly increases Sydney Water proposed, which would see typical bills increase, on average, by $130 or 8.9% plus inflation each year, resulting in a bill of $1,870 plus inflation by 2029-30.
The increases in draft maximum prices reflect the increased efficient costs of Sydney Water delivering its services over the next 5 years.
In reaching our draft decisions, we considered all feedback received from stakeholders at our Public Hearing and through submissions to our Issues Paper. In addition to this process and our legislative responsibilities, the NSW Government requires this review to consider the following factors when setting prices:
- the cost-of-living impacts of Sydney Water’s prices
- the effectiveness of existing rebates to manage the social impacts of Sydney Water prices
- opportunities to adjust project timelines to minimise price impacts and, if necessary, to reduce the proposed capital programs in line with least cost planning principles
- deliverability of the proposed capital plans based on capability and market conditions.
We know that many people are under cost-of-living pressures, so we looked at ways to minimise impacts to customers while maintaining service quality. We made draft recommendations to the NSW Government to improve the effectiveness of financial rebates to help moderate bill impacts on more adversely affected households, including those that hold either a Health Care Card or Low Income Health Care Card.
You can use our bill calculator to find out what our draft decisions could mean for your bills.
You can provide feedback on our draft decisions and recommendations until 23 June 2025 by making a submission or completing our customer survey.
The following links provide more information on how we review and determine water prices and about the water businesses that we regulate.