Your water bill is about to go up

Water and sewerage bills across southeast Queensland are set to go up in less than the month, with some customers being warned the price increases in their region will be higher than inflation and average wage growth. SEE HOW MUCH YOU’LL PAY

Keeping cool under a garden hose will cost more from July 1. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

THE average Brisbane water and sewerage bill will rise by $37 a year, or 2.8 per cent, from July 1, the third biggest increase in southeast Queensland.

But Ipswich residents will have to find an extra $13.66 a year, up only 1 per cent, the smallest increase in the southeast.

Brisbane’s rise, which takes the average household bill to $336 a year, is higher than inflation and also well above average wage growth.

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Somerset/Kilcoy residents face the largest jump in prices — a whopping $47.28 a year or 3.6 per cent.

Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) said its component of the total water and sewerage bill would go up only by 2.1 per cent, averaged across the southeast.

The State Government’s cut, known as the state bulk water charge, would however climb by a heft 3.5 per cent, averaged across the region.

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QUU spokeswoman Michelle Cull said it was committed to keeping prices as low as possible, while continuing to invest in the existing network and new infrastructure.

“Our total capital investment across our five local council regions in 2019/20 will be $412

million,” she said.

“In Brisbane, one of our biggest projects is the Rochedale Water Infrastructure Upgrade

which will see the construction of 6km of new water pipes, a new water pump station, and

two new reservoirs over the next three years.

“It’s also important we continue to renew our vast 18,000km pipe network.”

A full breakdown of the new charges is available at: urbanutilities.com.au/pricing