We’re one of Australia’s largest water utilities, providing water and sewerage services to over 2 million people and over 60,000 businesses in Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs. Our purpose is to support the health and wellbeing of our customers and create a brighter future for communities and the natural environment.

Established in January 1995, we maintain and operate over 21,000 kilometres of water, recycled water and sewer mains, 44 water supply tanks and 9 sewage treatment plants. We buy our water from Melbourne Water, which also operates the major sewage treatment works that service Melbourne.

We’re committed to providing you with the highest quality water and sewerage services as well as offering responsive customer support. We’re also dedicated to ensuring our services are delivered in ways that have minimal effect on the environment.

Our commitment to you

As a valued customer, your satisfaction with our services is important to us. This charter summary outlines your rights and our obligations based on the Water Industry Standard issued by the Essential Services Commission (ESC). The ESC is the economic regulator of the Victorian water industry and their responsibility is to protect the interests of water and sewerage customers.

This charter also incorporates feedback from customers about what matters most to them when it comes to their water and sewerage services. We engaged extensively with customers as part of our 5-year planning process for 2023-28 – every 5 years we’re required to propose the prices we’ll charge and the service standards we’ll provide customers, to the ESC for their review. This has helped us identify what customers want and value the most. This led to the creation of 6 service outcomes based on the services we provide to customers now and the action we need to take now for the future.

Customers expect:

• Water that is safe to drink.
• Water and sewerage services they can rely on.
• Fast response and effective restoration of their service when it's interrupted.
• A service that is accessible and adaptable to meet their needs.
• Saving water now so it’s available in the future.
• Looking after the natural environment.

Overarching these outcomes is a new commitment to embed a caring for Country philosophy across all our decisions and outcomes.

We’re committed to achieving these outcomes and if an outcome isn’t achieved, we’ll return $1.8 million the following year through a community rebate for each outcome not achieved.

This charter works alongside our comprehensive Residential, Trade Waste and Business Customer Charters.

We can only change our charter after consulting with customers and receiving the Essential Services Commission’s approval.

Copies of our customer charters are available at yvw.com.au/charters or by contacting us at [email protected] or on 1300 304 688.

Recycled water is water that’s been treated to a fit-for-purpose standard for a specific application. There are different water classes (Classes A-D) which can be used in accordance with an Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria approved fit-for-purpose application. This wastewater is treated to a standard that’s specified for non-drinking domestic use, and is referred to as Class A recycled water. Once treated, this water is delivered to your property through a separate (purple) pipe system.

While Class A recycled water has been treated to a high standard, it isn’t intended for human consumption.

Class A recycled water is produced according to strict guidelines developed by EPA Victoria and the Department of Health.

These high standards are ensured through process control and quality assurance systems including continuous monitoring throughout the treatment facility.

Testing and monitoring the quality and integrity of the recycled water system may involve occasionally adding substances to recycled water to allow us to detect non-compliant connections.

The recycled water we supply to you is guaranteed to be minimum Class A recycled water. From time-to-time, at our discretion, we may need to temporarily supply your property with drinking water instead of recycled water. When drinking water is supplied instead of recycled water, you’ll still be charged recycled water prices.

Recycled water is suitable for:

• Washing clothes
• Flushing toilets
• Garden use
• Washing cars
• Filling ornamental ponds*
• Fighting fires (except for sprinkler type fire systems)
• Industrial uses approved by the Department of Health.

* The water may need to be changed regularly or algae may grow due to the nutrients in recycled water.

Class A recycled water isn’t suitable for:

• Drinking
• Cooking, preparing food or other kitchen use
• Showering and bathing
• Bidets and sanitary sprays
• Indoor house cleaning
• Evaporative coolers
• Swimming pools or spas
• Children’s slip and slides or other water toys.

Using recycled water for an industrial purpose must be assessed individually to ensure the proposed use is appropriate for Class A recycled water. If you’d like to discuss the use of recycled water at your property, please contact us at [email protected] or on 1300 304 688.

As a customer in our recycled water area you can expect:

• A drinking water supply that meets regulatory health requirements established by the Department of Health and is safe, clear and free from objectionable tastes and odours.
• A recycled water supply that meets regulatory health requirements established by the Department of Health and environmental standards established by EPA Victoria.
• A flow rate that’s at least, for a standard residential dwelling, 20 litres per minute to the property boundary, unless there’s a restriction in place.
• Continuous recycled water supply, drinking water supply and sewerage services that aren't interrupted more than 2 times a year due to unplanned events.
• One week’s written notice of any planned interruptions to our services (including when they’ll occur and for how long).
• Planned interruptions to your drinking or recycled water supply won’t occur during peak hours (5 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 11 pm) and will take no longer than 5 hours.
• When there’s an unplanned water supply interruption, we’ll turn off the water as soon as possible to reduce leakage, and restore it within 4 hours of being notified.
• Where a burst drinking or recycled water main threatens substantial or moderate property or environmental damage, we’ll attend the site as soon as we can after being notified.
• Interruptions to your sewerage service will be assessed and contained within 4 hours of being notified. If a sewage spill occurs inside your home, we’ll assess and contain the spill within one hour.

At your property, recycled water is used for flushing toilets, and is also available for operating washing machines and watering the garden.

This water is intended for use on your property alone. Recycled water is an important alternative source of water and can be used sustainably over the long term.

Please note, access to recycled water may be discontinued if you use it for purposes it isn’t suitable for.

It’s your responsibility to:

• Use a registered plumber for all plumbing works to ensure recycled water is only connected to toilets, outside taps and washing machines.
• Inform and educate anyone living, working or visiting the property, particularly children, about the significance of the purple taps and the permitted uses of recycled water, most importantly that recycled water isn’t suitable for drinking or preparing food.
• Remove the handles when external taps aren’t being used to prevent anyone drinking water from these taps.
• Ensure purple taps aren’t replaced with taps of another colour.
• Ensure warning signs remain in place above all recycled water taps. These signs must be visible and legible at all times.
• Wash vehicles over garden areas to reduce runoff into the stormwater drainage system, which will flow into waterways.
• Where practical, select plants that are suitable for Class A recycled water. Class A recycled water contains a higher level of salts and nutrients than drinking water, and not all plants will tolerate these additional nutrients and salts. Advice can be obtained from your local nursery.
• Water gardens responsibly and don’t over water – while recycled water is exempt from outside watering rules and restrictions, over watering wastes this precious resource.
• Verify what your drinking water and recycled water are connected to, if you’ve had plumbing work done, or you have any concerns about your recycled water connection.

Visit yvw.com.au/recycledwater, email [email protected] or call 1300 3014 688 for assistance.

We’re committed to delivering high standards of service. If we fail to meet this commitment to you by not meeting our guaranteed service levels, you’ll be eligible for a rebate on your next bill.

Sometimes we need to turn the water off to replace a pipe or interrupt your sewerage service to unblock or replace a sewer pipe.

In the case of a planned interruption, we’ll give you a $50 rebate if:

• Your water supply (drinking or recycled) is interrupted for more than 5 hours.
• We fail to give at least one week’s written notice of planned interruptions to your water.
• The interruption is longer than we said it’d be.
• Your water supply (drinking or recycled water) is interrupted between 5 am and 9 am or 5 pm and 11 pm.

In the case of an emergency where our drinking or recycled water mains burst or sewers become blocked, we need to turn the water or sewer off without warning. We’ll give you a $50 rebate if:

• Your water supply (drinking or recycled) is interrupted for more than 4 hours – you’ll receive an additional $50 if this extends to more than 12 hours.
• We fail to restore a sewerage service interruption within 4 hours – you’ll receive an additional $50 if this extends to more than 12 hours. This doesn’t include sewer service interruptions caused by your pipe work.
• You experience more than 2 unplanned water (drinking or recycled) or sewerage service interruptions in any 12-month period – you’ll receive $50 for the third and any subsequent unplanned interruptions.
• We don’t reply to your contact within 4 working days.

A $300 rebate will be given if:

• We commence legal action or take steps to restrict a residential customer’s water supply before taking reasonable endeavours to contact the customer and provide information about the help available for customers experiencing financial difficulty.

The following rebates will be given if:

• We fail to contain a sewage spill inside your house within one hour of the spill being reported to us – $1,000 rebate.
• You experience a subsequent sewage spill inside your house within 12 months which isn’t contained within one hour of it being reported to us – $2,000 rebate.
• We fail to contain a sewage spill on your property within 4 hours of the spill being reported to us – $1,000 rebate.
• You experience a subsequent sewage spill on your property within 12 months which isn’t contained within 4 hours of it being reported to us – $2,000 rebate.

Community rebate

If we issue any water quality advisory notice, we’ll pay a community rebate of:

• $5,000 per local government area where less than 50 customers are affected.
• $10,000 per postcode where 50 or more customers are affected.

Additional commitments

• If we don’t provide an adequate water flow rate (unless there’s a restriction in place), we’ll waive the Water Supply System Charge until we meet the minimum standard.
• If you contact us about 2 or more separate water quality issues in a 12-month period, you’ll receive a $50 rebate for the third and each subsequent issue.

You don’t have to claim a rebate as they’re provided automatically. Please note, the rebate will be made to the residential customer occupying the property. A rebate won’t be provided if an event is caused by, or the responsibility of, the customer or a third party.

Water supply and sewerage services

We’re responsible for maintaining:

• The property water meters, pipes and fittings from our drinking and recycled water supplies to the water meters on your property.
• The water services to the property boundary if the meter is more than 2 metres inside the property boundary.
• The sewer and its branches up to the property connection point or a maximum of one metre from the sewer main (whichever is shorter).
• Up to the first stop valve or tap from the water main when there’s no meter.

In the case of an owners corporation or multi‑resident developments, we’re responsible for maintaining:

• The drinking and recycled water services up to and including the main property meter which are usually located at the property meter.
• The water services to the property boundary if the meter is more than 2 metres inside the property boundary.
• Up to the first accessible stop valve from the water main if the meter is located inside a structure or building.

You and/or the owners corporation are required to maintain any pipe work on your side of the property water meters, at your cost. We’ll maintain the property meters and individual meters that are installed on the properties.

Private water mains

We’re not responsible for maintaining any shared or single service private water mains, also known as trunk services. We’ll maintain individual water meters where they’re installed on these services.

Your quarterly account will generally include 2 types of charges. The first are fixed water supply system (for both drinking and recycled water) and sewerage system charges, and the second are volumetric charges relating to water and sewer usage, based on meter readings taken 4 times a year.

Class A recycled water has its own meter and charges will appear separately on your account.

We also collect charges on behalf of Parks Victoria for parks services and Melbourne Water for waterways and drainage.

If we inadvertently overcharge you, we’ll either give you a credit on your next bill or offer you a refund. If we undercharge you, we’ll discuss any necessary adjustments and tailor a repayment plan to suit.

If you’re having trouble paying your account, please call us on 1800 994 789.

Our team will treat you with respect and dignity and we can offer support and flexibility to suit your situation, including:

• Providing information on government concessions and grants that may be available to you.
• Setting up a flexible payment arrangement that takes your capacity to pay into account.
• Referring you to free and independent financial counselling and other service providers’ support programs.
• Providing advice to reduce your water use and your bill.
   

Anyone holding a recognised concession card such as a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, or Gold Card (for all conditions except Dependent) is eligible for State Government funded concessions on their water and sewerage charges.

Our Hardship Policy is available:

• Online at yvw.com.au/hardship
• On request by calling 1800 994 789

You must pay your account by the due date on your bill. Payment methods include:

• Direct debit
• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
• BPAY
• Credit card – online at yvw.com.au/pay, via your online account at yvw.com.au/online or by phone on 1300 362 332.
• In person at any post office, phone 13 1816 or go to postbillpay.com.au.
• Centrepay if you receive a Centrelink payment.

For the latest payment methods, please refer to your account, visit yvw.com.au/pay or call 1300 304 688.

We’re committed to providing excellent customer service. If you have a complaint, please contact our Customer Care Team at [email protected] or on 1300 304 688. You can also write to us at Yarra Valley Water, 25-35 Lucknow Street, Mitcham VIC 3132.

We’ll respond promptly to your complaint and do our best to resolve the problem to your satisfaction. Our reply will give the reasons for our decision.

If you aren’t satisfied with the reply, you can have the complaint reassessed. You also have the right to seek external resolution of a problem that cannot be satisfactorily resolved by other means. You can contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria on 1800 500 509, at ewov.com.au or by mail to EWOV, Reply Paid 469, Melbourne VIC 8060.

For information on our complaints and disputes handling process, please visit yvw.com.au/feedback.

We recognise that your privacy is of great importance and we’re committed to protecting your personal information.

We collect personal and water use information for the purpose of providing water and sewerage related services. We must keep your personal and water use information confidential and comply with binding privacy laws such as the Information Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.

To view our Privacy Policy, visit yvw.com.au/privacy.

Enquiries

1300 304 688

Faults & emergencies

13 27 62 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

Free translating & interpreting service

Arabic العربية

1300 914 361
http://www.yvw.com.au/online/Arabic 

Cantonese 廣東話

1300 921 362
http://www.yvw.com.au/online/cantonese 

Greek Eλληνικά

1300 931 364
http://www.yvw.com.au/online/greek 

Mandarin 普通话

1300 927 363
http://www.yvw.com.au/online/mandarin 

Other languages

For all other languages please call 03 9046 4173 (local call cost in Australia) 8:30 am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Email [email protected]

25-35 Lucknow Street Mitcham VIC 3132
ABN 93 066 902 501
yvw.com.au