Urban Utilities under fire for rising water bills

Queensland’s Urban Utilities has been accused of ‘highway robbery’ after one business’s quarterly water bill skyrocketed from $900 to $5500 under a new tariff system.

Urban Utilities has been accused of “highway robbery” with a new tariff system sending water and sewerage bills skyrocketing for scores of local businesses. 

Bill Watson, a master plumber at Connectors Group, says that one of his customers has seen their water bill soar from $900 a quarter to $5500 a quarter under the new charging regime introduced in October that is based on the size of a property’s water meter connection.

Watson tells your diarist that the business is not using any more water but the fact they have the misfortune of having a 100mm water metre means they are being charged a king’s ransom under the new tariff system. 

Watson says several other of his customers are also subject to what he calls “highway robbery,” which is contrary to Urban Utilities’ claim that it adopts a user pay system.

“The charges are ridiculous with people with a 100mm water meter charged $16.20 per day and sewerage $42.95 per day,” says Watson. “Even if you don’t use any more water or go to the toilet more frequently, your sewerage and water charges go through the roof.” 

An Urban Utilities spokesperson says non-residential customers’ water and sewerage charges are now based on the size and number of water meters servicing their properties.

“Many other utilities already charge this way as it better reflects a user pay approach,” says the spokesperson. “For example, customers with large water meter connections benefit from greater water pressure and flow.” She added Urban Utilities had a range of assistance options if customers wished to review the size of their water meter.

Qld Urban Utilities CEO Louise Dudley.

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Urban Utilities, a statutory body formed in 2010, is now a $1.4bn business with a team of highly-paid executives.

But Watson, who has been a plumber for more than half a century, says provision of water and sewage services was more efficient when it was under the control of individual councils in what used to be called the “water board.” ”Urban Utilities’ costs are out of control,” says Watson. The salaries at Urban Utilities certainly impressive. Chef executive Louise Dudley (illustrated), who has been boss of Urban Utilities for a decade, earns a total of $687,000 a year, chief financial officer Ruth Coulson $405,000, executive leader service delivery David Brooker $412,000 and chief experience officer James Dymock $379,000.

Water bills are on the rise.