The cost of water will go up more than the anticipated 6.1 per cent. Photo: Swanky Fella.
Canberrans will pay about $100 more a year for water from 1 July.
The ACT’s economic regulator has released its annual update of the maximum prices that Icon Water can charge for its regulated water and sewerage services in the new financial year.
Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission Senior Commissioner Joe Dimasi said prices would increase by 7.6 per cent for a typical residential customer and by 6.7 per cent to 8.2 per cent for non-residential customers in their annual combined water and sewerage bill in 2025-26.
“This means a typical residential customer consuming 200 kilolitres of water per year will see an annual bill increase of $102,” he said.
“The annual bill increase for non-residential customers will depend on their water usage and the number of flushing fixtures.”
A mid-level non-residential customer consuming 5000 kL per annum with 50 billable flushing fixtures will pay $58,382 in 2025-26, an increase of 7.4 per cent from the previous year.
The price increase is higher than the estimated 6.1 per cent in the ICRC’s final decision for the 2023-28 regulatory period. It is primarily driven by the inclusion of a new ‘cost pass-through event’ and higher-than-expected Water Abstraction Charges, which are paid to the ACT Government for the right to extract water.
The price increase is higher than the estimated 6.1 per cent in the ICRC’s final decision for the 2023-28 regulatory period. Tables: Icon Water.
The new cost pass-through event relates to Icon Water’s new obligation to support individual water meters in multi-unit developments, legislated in 2024.
The Commission has approved $2.9 million for Icon Water to plan and develop the unit water metering project in 2025-26.
This is $1.8 million less than Icon Water’s original proposal, which would have resulted in an average price increase of 8.1 per cent for a typical residential customer.
“The commission will continue to monitor the ongoing costs of the project to ensure they are efficient and prudent,” Mr Dimasi said.
The 6.1 per cent base price increase reflects high inflation and the need to fund essential infrastructure.
More than $280 million of the approved funding was allocated for major upgrades to the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre, Canberra’s primary wastewater treatment facility.
The Precinct Charge that developers pay to Icon Water to fund infrastructure upgrades will decrease to $961 per equivalent population, a reduction of $26.
The Commission urged consumers experiencing financial hardship to contact Icon Water for assistance.
The ACT Government provides targeted support for low-income and vulnerable customers to help manage utility expenses.
