We supply, treat and transfer drinking water to Melbourne’s retail water companies and other non-metropolitan water businesses.
Our bulk water customers include:
- Greater Western Water
- South East Water
- Yarra Valley Water
- Barwon Water
- Gippsland Water
- South Gippsland Water
- Westernport Water
Bulk water charges comprise of a fixed monthly charge for headwork storages and the Victorian Desalination Project, and a variable charge for drinking and raw water. The combined headworks charge for the South-Central Pool came into effect after South-Central Pool Bulk Entitlement Reform on 1 July 2026 and approved by the Essential Services Commission as an appropriate tariff structure in the 2026 Price Review. These charges are applicable to all our water corporation customers and provide a clear cost signal associated with holding, buying or selling water entitlements.
Additionally, the three metropolitan retailers (Greater Western Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water) will continue to pay one-third of the costs associated with the North-South Pipeline through the entitlement based fixed charge.
Prices from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027
| Retailer | Bulk water headworks charges – South-Central Pool ($/month) | Bulk water usage charges – South-Central Pool ($ /ML) – Drinking water | Bulk water usage charges – South-Central Pool ($ /ML) – Raw water | Headworks price ($/ML entitlement) North South Pipeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Western Water |
15,656,466.98 |
832.75 |
|
471.31 |
| South East Water |
19,794,213.53 |
832.75 |
638.27 |
471.31 |
| Yarra Valley Water |
19,569,389.97 |
832.75 |
638.27 |
471.31 |
| Barwon Water |
415,032.00 |
832.75 | ||
| Gippsland Water |
29,202.06 |
832.75 | 638.27 | |
| South Gippsland Water |
53,899.90 |
832.75 | ||
| Westernport Water | 22,574.70 | 832.75 |
Our prices and price paths for a five year period commencing 1 July 2026 were reviewed through a public process across 2025 and 2026, where the Essential Services Commission:
-
completed extensive analysis of our 2026 Price Submission, which set out the proposed revenue to meet the expected costs to deliver planned capital works programs and service standards for the forecast volumes for each prescribed service
-
reviewed capital and operating expenditure for prudency and efficiency
-
reviewed and forecast demand and proposed tariff and charge structures
-
consulted with stakeholders, including a review of submissions made by interested parties.
The Essential Services Commission determined our final prices and price paths in its Melbourne Water Price Determination that covers our five-year regulatory period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2031.
