Customer
Charter
This summary of our Customer Charter informs you about the services we offer and the rights
and responsibilities of Central Water and you – the customer.
Key Service Standards
We strive to provide a quality, reliable service at all times.
We aim to:

 Provide you with at least two business days
written notification of any planned works that
may interrupt your service.
 Attend to higher priority water main busts and
leaks within an average of 35 minutes.
 Restore 97% of unplanned water supply
interruptions within five hours.
 Ensure that no customer experiences five or
more unplanned water supply interruptions in
any given year.
Attend higher priority sewer spills and blockages
within an average of 30 minutes.
 Rectify sewer blockages within an average of 90
minutes.
 Contain 98% of sewer spills within five hours.
 Ensure that no customer experiences three or
more sewer blockages in any given year.
 In addition to complying with applicable
requirements of health and environmental
regulation, Central Water will provide services in
accordance with the approved service standards
set out in its Water Plan approved by the
Essential Services Commission.
 Central Water will ensure that a customer’s water
supply is at least equal to the minimum flow
rates set out below:
MINIMUM FLOW RATES
TARGET
Diameter of the property service pipe
20mm
25mm
32mm
40mm
50mm
Minimum flow rates (litres per minute)
20
35
60
90
160
Time to fill a 9 litre bucket (seconds)
27
15
9
6
3
Your Bill
sewerage system, which is billed to the
owner of every property connected to
the sewerage system.
Charges and Billing
As a Central Water customer you are billed the
following charges for water and sewerage services:
Water Charges are:
(i)
(ii)
water service charge – this is the daily
charge which is billed to the owner at
every property or dwelling serviced by
Central Water’s water supply system;
and
water volume charge – this is the price
per kilolitre (1000 litres) of water
delivered to the property as measured
by the water meter (or estimated where
there is no water meter) which is billed
to the occupier or owner of the property
connected to the water system. As a
Central Water customer you are billed
the following charges for water and
sewerage services:
Sewerage charges are:
(i)
(ii)
sewerage service charge – this is the
daily charge which is billed to the owner
of every property or dwelling serviced
by Central Water’s sewerage system;
and
sewerage volume charge (where
applicable) – this is the price per kilolitre
(1000 litres) of sewage discharged to the
Trade waste charges will also be billed to
customers who discharge trade waste into the
sewerage system.
Water service charge – this is the daily charge
which is billed to the owner at every property or
dwelling serviced by Central Water’s water
supply system; and
water volume charge – this is the price per
kilolitre (1000 litres) of water delivered to the
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easured by the water meter (or estimated where
there is no water meter) which is billed to the
occupier or owner of the property connected to
the water system. As a Central Water customer
you are billed the following charges for water
and sewerage services:






Payment of Bills
Central Water will issue bills once every three
months (four times per year) or more frequently if
agreed with the customer.
Central Water offers customers 28 days from the
date of issue to pay bills. We accept payment from
customers by various methods:

By direct payment from your bank account
using a direct debit facility or Billmanager

In advance as agreed to by Central Water;
In person at any post office or post office
agency;
By internet using Australia Post’s website or
by using BPay;
By telephone on either 131313 or through
your financial institution’s BPay facility using
a credit card, cheque or savings account; or
By mail to PO Box 777 Sapphire Bay 7043.
Payment methods may vary over time, but will
remain consistent with the requirements of
the Customer Service Code. Customers will
be advised of any changes.
Concessions and Assistance
Central Water will assist customers where
appropriate regarding:

Government concessions, including
concessions on water and sewerage charges;

Flexible payment arrangements;

Our financial hardship policy; and

Free, independent and accredited financial
counselling services.
(Australia Post);
By deduction through a provider of income
support such as Centrepay;
Maintenance Responsibilities
Central Water’s maintenance obligations
Central Water will implement programs to maintain
its systems in accordance with its approved service
standards. In addition to this general system
obligation, Central Water will maintain:
(a) the property service pipe if it is 25mm in
diameter or less:
(i) from the water reticulation main to the meter
assembly; or
(ii) if no meter is installed, from the water
reticulation main to the property boundary.
(b) any galvanised iron property service pipe for
which it has maintenance obligations under (a) if
it is leaking;
(c) the meter assembly; and
(d) where the sewer main is located outside the
customer’s property and there is an inspection
shaft installed to Central Water’s requirements at
the boundary, Central Water will take
responsibility for maintaining the section of the
property drain from the inspection shaft to the
sewer main, except if the property drain is a
combined drain.
If your property drain becomes blocked, please
contact Central Water for advice. Central Water will
determine who is responsible for clearing the
blockage. If the blockage is in the section of the
property drain for which we are responsible, it will
be cleared at no cost to you.
If the blockage is located upstream of the
inspection shaft at the property boundary or if no
inspection shaft is installed, you will be advised to
engage a plumber to clear the blockage at your own
cost.
Owner’s maintenance obligations The property
owner is responsible for:
(a) the replacement of a property service pipe for
any reason, except where Central Water replaces
a galvanised iron property service pipe at a
single residential property. Central Water will
require the property owner to only pay for the
first $500 (excluding Goods and Services Tax) of
the cost of replacement;
(b) the maintenance (including replacement) of a
backflow prevention device installed at the outlet
of the meter;
(c) the maintenance (including replacement) of a
private fire service, private extension or trunk
services, or property service pipes from private
extensions; and
(d) the maintenance (including replacement) of the
customer’s sewerage assets including the sewer
connection drain (household connection drain
for residential properties) and boundary trap (if
any), from the connection point at Central
Water’s sewer branch. Please refer to the
diagram below.
Where Central Water’s sewer branch is more than
1.5 metres below ground level, Central Water will
assist customers at a single residential property to
maintain or replace their sewer connection to our
system. Central Water will contribute 50% of the
cost of repair or replacement if Central Water’s
contractor undertakes the repair or replacement of
the sewer connection point including the “riser” or
“jump up” fitting if connected.
If there is no inspection shaft, the customer is
responsible through to the sewer main regardless of
fence line.
If the property is more than 1.5 metres below ground
level, Central Water will assist customers to maintain or
replace their sewer connection to our system
Customer Obligations
Customers have certain obligations under water
law; some of these obligations include, but are not
limited to:
(a)
giving Central Water at least 48 hours
notice of vacating a property or to pay
charges incurred up to the day of the
next meter reading after vacating a
property;
(b)
ensure that each water meter is
accessible by Central Water;
(c)
maintaining the property owner’s
infrastructure upon notice by Central
Water;
(d)
removing trees upon request from
Central Water
(e)
seeking the consent of Central Water for
any building or construction work which
might interfere with a service or system;
(f)
not altering any works connected to
Central Water’s works without Central
Water’s consent; and
(g)
adhering to the permanent water saving
measures and any water restrictions
imposed by Central Water in accordance
with water law.
Central Water will use reasonable endeavours to
keep your informed of your maintenance
obligations under water law.
Enquiries and Complaints
If you have an enquiry or a complaint, please
contact Central Water on 1300 131313 or send an
email to info@centralwater.com.au
We will try to resolve your enquiry or complaint at
the first point of contact. If you request a written
response, we will take no more than 10 business
days to respond to your enquiry or complaint.
If we are unable to satisfy your complaint, we will
provide you with information about referral to the
Energy and Water Ombudsman.
Privacy
Central Water complies with the Information
Privacy Act 2000 and the 10 information privacy
principles established under the Act.
We also comply with the Health Records Act 2001
and the health privacy principles within the Act.
A full copy of Central Water’s Privacy Policy can be
obtained from our internet site or by calling 1300
131313 and requesting a copy.
KEEPING YOU INFORMED
If you have an enquiry or a complaint, please
contact Central Water on 1300 131313 or sent an
email to info@centralwater.com.au
We will try to resolve your enquiry or complaint at
the first point of contact. If you request a written
response, we will take no more than 10 business
days to respond to your enquiry or complaint.