Water and sewage prices in the ACT are to rise by around 7.1 per cent from July 1.

“A typical household consuming 200 kilolitres of water per year will see an increase of $89, or around 7.1 per cent,
in their annual combined water and sewerage bill in 2024-25,” said Senior Commissioner Joe Dimasi, of the ACT’s Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission, which sets the prices Icon Water can charge.

“Non-residential customers will see annual
combined bill increases ranging from around 6.6 per cent to 8 per cent, depending on their water usage and the number
of flushing fixtures”.

Commissioner Dimasi said the key drivers of the price increase in 2024-25 continued to be the recent high levels of inflation and
infrastructure investments approved as a part of the commission’s final decision on regulated water and
sewerage services prices for the 2023-28 regulatory period.

These investments increased by nearly $270
million from the previous regulatory period, including more than $280 million for upgrades at Canberra’s primary
wastewater treatment plant at Lower Molonglo.

“The price increase of 7.1 per cent for a typical residential customer is higher than the estimated price increase of
6.1 per cent in our 2023 final decision on regulated water and sewerage services prices for 2023-28,” he said.

“This is
because actual inflation turned out to be higher than the Reserve Bank of Australia’s forecast at the time of
our final decision.

“The price increase is partially offset by lower than forecast government charges and a
reduction in the cost of debt.

“We recognise that customers may find it difficult to pay their bills in the current challenging economic
conditions.

“We encourage consumers experiencing financial hardship to contact Icon Water for assistance.
ACT government offers further support to help low-income and vulnerable customers meet the costs of
their utilities bills.”