Proposed fees and charges 2025/26
May 01, 2025
The average residential water bill will increase by only a $1 a week under Riverina Water’s proposed fees and charges for 2025/26.
Along with a reputation for providing safe and reliable drinking water, Riverina Water has continually been one of the most affordable local water utilities in the state year-on-year.
For customers, it means that while the proposed 10% increase in water charges may sound considerable, the impact to your hip pocket will be minimised.
“Like many households and businesses, increases to constructions costs, materials and overheads have impacted our operations,” Riverina Water Chief Executive Officer Andrew Crakanthorp said.
“Our mission is to provide safe and reliable drinking water at the lowest sustainable cost; and this is front of mind when discussing any changes to fees and charges.
“An increase of 10% has been proposed in our draft 2025/26 Operational Plan, which equates to about a $1 a week for the average residential water bill.”
Based on the latest comparison data available from 2023/24, Riverina Water’s proposed fees and charges are still well below the NSW median.
Residential water charges
| Charge type | Current (2024/25) | Proposed (2025/26) | 2023/24 NSW medium |
| Access per quarter | $45 | $49.50 | $58.52 |
| Step 1 usage tariff per kl | $1.61 | $1.77 | $2.49 |
| Step 2 usage tariff per kl | $2.41 | $2.65 | $4.17 |
Along with being one of the most affordable in the state, Riverina Water is the second biggest supplier of potable water across all 82 NSW local water utilities, while having the sixth-most connections.
In 2025/26, Riverina Water is proposing almost $18M in capital works to strengthen and renew its water supply network, including:
- $1M for Oura reservoir replacement
- $1.3M to redevelop The Rock Depot
- $4.4M for the East Wagga Solar Pilot Plant
- $2.6M in water mains replacements and works
"We take great prpride in being a leader in the water industry, not only through financial management and scale, but through strong strategic planning,” Mr Crakanthorp said.
“We are again investing in our infrastructure and network in 2025/26 to ensure we can supply safe and reliable drinking water today and into the future.
“Looking forward, our redeveloped Business Activity Strategic Plan has been redeveloped sets the priorities and direction for Riverina Water for the next 10 years and beyond.
“Key strategies have been identified under four focus areas and outlines the measures we will use to know if we have delivered on these strategies.
“The strategies will be actioned through our four-year Delivery Programs and our one-year Operational Plans. This suite of draft strategic documents is currently out for community feedback, including the proposed fees and charges for 2025/26.”
Community members can view the draft documents and make a submission until 30 May.