Fees, charges and pricing
Your bill is made up of different types of charges – usage, system and charges collected by Yarra Valley Water on behalf of other organisations.
Your total bill is made up of a combination of fixed and variable charges, depending on your property and water use.
Service (or system) charges
This is a fixed charge that helps cover the cost of maintaining and operating the water and sewerage network.
It includes:
• Pipes, pumps, and treatment infrastructure
• Removing and treating wastewater from your property
• Ongoing service delivery
• Maintenance and repairs
This charge is billed regardless of how much water you use.
Usage charges
This is a variable charge based on how much water you use. It also includes capturing, removing, treating and disposing of sewage from your property.
Your usage is measured by your water meter and billed in kilolitres (kL). The more water you use, and the more times you flush your toilet, the higher this component of your bill.
Recycled water usage charge
If you have recycled water at your property, this is also included in your usage charge.
Charges collected on behalf of others
We collect some charges on behalf of other organisations, including:
Melbourne Water (waterways and drainage)
We collect this charge from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water. Melbourne Water uses the funds to manage rivers and creeks, the floodplains surrounding rivers and creeks, and the regional drainage system.
Parks Victoria (parks charge)
The Parks charge is collected quarterly. We collect this charge on behalf of Parks Victoria who uses the funds to maintain and enhance Victoria's parks, zoos, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Shrine of Remembrance as well as many other community facilities.
These charges help fund essential community and environmental services.
Business customers (if applicable)
Business customers may have additional charges depending on their water use and operations, such as:
• Trade waste charges
• Special meter or discharge arrangements
How prices are set
Prices are approved by the Essential Services Commission who are the independent economic regulator appointed by the State Government, and generally change on 1 July each year.
Our 2026 prices are changing
We’re working to keep prices as low as possible while continuing to deliver the services you rely on.
From 1 July 2026, bills will increase by 5.7%, which is around $16 more on a typical quarterly bill. This reflects inflation and the cost of ordering 150 billion litres of desalinated water to provide the water our community needs.
Learn more about what your bill pays for
Download 2026-27 Pricing Handbook (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Standard fees, charges and pricing
Business fees and charges
System charges
Water and sewerage system charges are fixed and billed quarterly to property owners. Bills are sent monthly to high usage customers.
| System charge | Price per annum |
|---|---|
| Water supply system charge | $328.21 |
| Sewerage system charge | $631.27 |
| Non-residential trunk service charge | $328.21 |
Usage charges
We read your meter approximately every three months and bill you for the water used during that period.
Depending on your type of business, you may have additional discharge outlets. It is difficult and expensive to have a meter installed in each property to record the volume of sewage discharged. Instead, we estimate the volume based on the amount of water supplied (water usage) minus a percentage of water that we estimate is used outside the property.
| Usage charges | Price per kilolitre |
|---|---|
| Water usage | $3.4000 |
| Sewage disposal | $2.2905 |
| Recycled water | $2.0133 |
| Unchlorinated water | $2.8594 |
Calculating your business' sewage disposal charge
- We recognise that some businesses use a portion of their water outside, or in a manufacturing process that does not discharge to the sewerage system. For this reason, consideration is provided for particular industries in calculating the sewage disposal charge.
- If you can provide us with evidence in writing that the standard calculation may have substantially overestimated the volume of water you dispose to the sewer, we can assess your business' account. Contact us at [email protected].
- A subsidiary meter can be installed at your own expense as an alternative method of assessing the volume of water you dispose to the sewer. This is recommended for business properties with particularly large grounds or gardens such as schools, reserves or sporting grounds.
Waterways and Drainage Charge
We collect this charge from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water.
| Property type | 2026-27 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $130.56 |
| Rural | $71.64 |
| Non-residential | $196.16 |
Parks Charge
The minimum annual Parks charge in 2025-26 is $92.26. The rate is $0.5390 cents per dollar of the property's Net Annual Value (NAV). Visit Parks Victoria for more information.
Residential customers with water and sewerage services
System charges
The total annual charges below are collected in quarterly instalments which are calculated based on the number of days in each billing period.
| System charge | Price effective from 1 July 2026 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Water supply system charge | $88.46 |
| Sewerage system charge | $505.31 |
| Residential trunk service charge | $88.46 |
Usage charges
We read your meter approximately every three months and bill you for the water used during that period.
From 1 July 2023, the water usage and sewage disposal charges combined into a single water usage charge.
Combining sewage disposal and water usage into the rising step tariff charge is based on feedback customers gave us. Customers wanted us to make usage charges simpler, easier to understand and send a stronger water conservation signal. They also told us the sewage disposal charge was complex and difficult to understand.
| Usage charges | Price effective from 1 July 2026 (per kilolitre) |
|---|---|
| Water and sewer usage | |
| Step 1 (0-440 litres per day) | $3.8313 |
| Step 2 (441-880 litres per day) | $5.0268 |
| Step 3 (881 or more litres per day) | $5.8403 |
| Recycled water | $2.0133 |
| Unchlorinated water | $2.8594 |
Waterways and Drainage Charge
We collect this charge from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water.
| Property type | 2026-27 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $130.56 |
| Rural | $71.64 |
Parks Charge
The minimum annual Parks charge in 2025-26 is $92.26. The rate is $0.5390 cents per dollar of the property's Net Annual Value (NAV). Visit Parks Victoria for more information.
Residential customers with only water services
System charges
The total annual charges below are collected in quarterly instalments which are calculated based on the number of days in each billing period.
| System charge | Price effective from 1 July 2026 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Water supply system charge | $88.46 |
| Residential trunk service charge | $88.46 |
Usage charges
We read your meter approximately every three months and bill you for the water used during that period. The water usage charge covers the cost of water used at your property including treating and delivering it.
| Usage charges | Price per kilolitre |
|---|---|
| Water usage | |
| Step 1 (0-440 litres per day) | $2.8594 |
| Step 2 (441-880 litres per day) | $3.6548 |
| Step 3 (881 or more litres per day) | $5.4145 |
| Recycled water | $2.0133 |
| Unchlorinated water | $2.8594 |
Waterways and Drainage Charge
We collect this charge from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water.
| Property type | 2026-27 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $130.56 |
| Rural | $71.64 |
Parks Charge
The minimum annual Parks charge in 2025-26 is $92.26. The rate is $0.5390 cents per dollar of the property's Net Annual Value (NAV). Visit Parks Victoria for more information.
Other Authority charges
Waterways and Drainage Charge
This charge is collected from property owners every quarter on behalf of Melbourne Water, and is not related to your water and sewerage services.
These charges are used by Melbourne Water to manage rivers and creeks, the floodplains surrounding rivers and creeks, and the regional drainage system. We charge you on behalf of Melbourne Water, as it is cheaper for the community than Melbourne Water issuing a separate bill.
| Property type | 2026-27 (per annum) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $130.56 |
| Rural | $71.64 |
| Non-residential | $196.16 |
Parks Charge
Parks Charge
The minimum annual Parks charge in 2025-26 is $92.26. The rate is $0.5390 cents per dollar of the property's Net Annual Value (NAV). Visit Parks Victoria for more information.