Customer Charter - Summary

At Barwon Water our customers and community are our priority. The Customer Charter sets out our service standards and conditions, as well as your rights and obligations as a Barwon Water customer.  It aligns with the Water Industry Standard – Urban Customer Service (1 March 2023) and Trade Waste Customer Water Industry Standard (1 March 2023) set by the Essential Services Commission, the independent regulator of the water sector in Victoria. The Customer Charter applies from 1 March 2023.

Purpose

This summary customer charter provides an overview only of the services we provide, our rights and responsibilities and your rights and responsibilities. It applies to anyone supplied with reticulated drinking water, non-drinking water or recycled water, and/or reticulated sewerage services, trade waste services and water supplied under a separate written agreement made after 30 June 2005.

The full version of the Customer Charter is also available. Read or download it via the link below or request a copy by calling us on 1300 656 007.

Barwon Water Full Customer Charter (PDF 641.9 KB)

Contacting us

You can contact us in a number of ways:

Telephone

Call our Contact Centre on 1300 656 007:

• for all enquiries 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday; and
• for any water or sewerage service difficulties, outages or other faults we are available to help 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

Email

Email any enquiry to info@barwonwater.vic.gov.au .

Mail

Write to Barwon Water, PO Box 659, Geelong VIC 3220

Web Chat

You can chat to a customer service consultant with any enquiry between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday via the web chat service on our website: www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au

Website

You can visit www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au to access information on a wide range of topics related to our activities and services.

1. Connection

We will connect or (if approval is all that is needed) approve connection to the property within 10 business days, or at an agreed date, if:

• you have paid or agreed to pay all applicable connection fees; and
• you have complied with all reasonable terms and conditions of connection we have specified.

2. Recycled (Class A non-drinking) water services

Customers supplied with both drinking water and recycled water have a dual water supply system. One pipe enters your property and delivers water for drinking, bathing and washing purposes. A second (purple-coloured) pipe delivers recycled water only for use for toilet flushing and external garden use. Please refer to our extended Customer Charter for more information on recycled water services.

3.  Your water bill

We will issue a bill to:

• you, at a physical or electronic address specified by you; or
• your agent or representative at a physical or email address specified by you.

4.  Your water bill charges

We will charge you for water based on your connection to our services and how much water you consume. The charges may include:

1. water service charge – a fixed quarterly charge billed to the owner of every property connected to a water supply.
2. water volume charge – the price per kilolitre (1,000 litres) of water delivered to your property, measured by a water meter.
3. recycled water volume charge (if you receive recycled water) – the price per kilolitre (1,000 litres) of recycled water delivered to your property, measured by the purple water meter.
4. sewerage service charge is a fixed quarterly charge, billed to the owner of every property or dwelling connected to our sewerage system.

If you are supplied with water under a separate written agreement, please refer to our full Customer Charter for details.

4.  Paying your bill

You will have 28 days from the date of issue to pay your bill.

We accept payment:

• by direct debit from your cheque or savings account, or via credit card. You can set this up on our website https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/billing-and-accounts/payment-options or call 1300 656 007 for assistance.
• by BPAY from your savings account or via credit card.
• using your credit card on our website.
• through automatic payments from your Centrelink allowance (Centrepay). Call 1300 656 007 for further details.
• via Post BillPay: through Australia Post.
• at any Australia Post Office.
• online at www.postbillpay.com.au
• over the phone on 13 18 16.
• by mail addressed to: Barwon Water, PO Box 659, Geelong VIC 3220.
• in advance.
• any other option shown on your bill or reminder notice.

5. Payment reminders

We will send a reminder notice to you no earlier than two (2) business days after the due date, if your bill is not paid by the due date.

If your reminder notice remains unpaid, we will send you a final notice within15 business days of the date we issued your reminder notice.

We will then continue trying to contact you, before we may take steps including restriction or legal action, only as a last resort.  Please refer to the full Customer Charter for more detail on how we may collect money owed.

6.  Flexible payment plans

• We can provide you with flexible plans to help you pay your bills. A flexible payment plan will:
• show you how the amount of the payments has been calculated;
• state the period over which you will pay the amounts agreed upon;
• specify an amount to be paid in each period;
• be adjusted at your request if there is a change in your circumstances in line with our customer support policies; and
• be confirmed in writing as soon as possible, once the flexible payment plan is in place.
• We may not offer you a flexible payment plan if, in the previous 12-months, you have had two flexible payment plans cancelled due to non-payment.

7.  Customer Support – rebates, concessions, payment assistance

We are here to help you and we have a range of customer support options available that you may be eligible for including:

a) Water and sewerage concessions for concession card holders. Call us to register your concession card for bill deductions.

b) Alternative payment arrangements tailored to your capacity to pay, including:

• flexible payments plans;
• access to our Arrange & Save payment matching plan; or
• re-directing the bill to another person for payment, if that person agrees in writing. flexible payments plans;
• access to our Arrange & Save payment matching plan; or
• re-directing the bill to another person for payment, if that person agrees in writing.

c) Support to access government funded assistance programs (including the Utility Relief Grant Scheme);

d) Victorian Government concessions for customers with certain types of life support machines including haemodialysis machines.

e) A water volume charge rebate if you have a medical that requires a higher than usual amount of water.

f) A once in 5-year reduction for water volume charges where evidence is provided that an undetectable leak has occurred (typically leaks from a property service pipe below ground, under concrete or under a building) resulting in an excessively high bill.

To check your eligibility for any of the concessions or rebates above, call our Contact Centre at 1300 656 007 or email us on info@barwonwater.vic.gov.au .

8.  Customer Support – contacting you

We will aim to identify if you are experiencing financial difficulties and try to contact you to offer assistance or information. We may contact you by phone, as part of our outbound calling program, to make you aware of the assistance available such as:

1. payment difficulties assistance (as above);
2. assistance if you are experiencing family violence, in line with our family violence customer policy https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/about-us/policies-and-governance/customer-family-violence-policy ;
3. access to a range of customer support programs such as our WaterAssist Home program, government grants and business water saving grants;
4. information on customer support in other languages;
5. updating your contact details and communication preferences; and
6. your billing history.

9. Communication assistance

We will provide a free interpreter service for non-English speaking customers – call 131 450.

We provide a TTY service for speech and hearing-impaired customers – call 133 677.

You can nominate a support person or representative to communicate with us on your behalf. Please complete this online form: https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/billing-and-accounts/update-details/privacy-registration . You can also call our Contact Centre for assistance with the form on 1300 656 007.

10. Service standards

We need to meet certain standards and targets for the services we provide you. These standards are available in Schedule 1. We need to:

minimise the impact of unplanned interruptions and provide you with an emergency supply of drinking water;

inform you - by your preferred method – at least two (2) two days in advance of any planned interruption and provide you with an emergency supply of drinking water;

Promptly fix and clean up any bursts, leaks or blockages in drinking water, non-drinking, recycled water or sewerage systems;

11. Guaranteed service levels

If we do not meet our service levels or targets, we are required to pay (or rebate) you a pre-determined amount if you are affected.  The rebates are listed in Schedule 4 in the Customer Charter.

12.  How to make a complaint

We are committed to effectively resolving any complaints at your first point of contact. You can expect:

a) when a written reply is requested, a response within 10 business days;

b) the reasons for our decision and any legal basis;

c) if you are not satisfied with the way your complaint was handled or with the outcome, you can have your complaint reviewed by the Customer Resolutions Coordinator and a senior manager:

Customer Resolutions Coordinator
Barwon Water
PO Box 659
Geelong VIC 3220

Telephone: 1300 656 007

Email: info@barwonwater.vic.gov.au

d) if you are not satisfied with the review by Customer Resolutions Coordinator, you can make a referral to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV).  Call 1800 500 509 or email: ewovinfo@ewov.com.au

13. Privacy

We comply with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. A full copy of our Privacy Charter is available online https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/legal/privacy#privacy-charter or by request.

14. Your obligations

As a customer, you have certain obligations under the Water Act 1989 and the Water Industry Act 1994 including:

• to pay charges incurred after vacating a property, unless you’ve given us giving us at least 48-hours’ notice of vacating the property;
• ensuring your water meter is accessible;
• maintaining your infrastructure at our request;
• removing trees at our request;
• seeking our consent for any building or construction work which might interfere with our services;
• not altering our works without our consent; and
• observing any water restrictions that are in place and Victoria’s Permanent Water Saving Rules (Schedule 2) https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/water-and-waste/permanent-water-saving-rules;
• maintaining combined sanitary drains or any independent agreement with other landowners.

In addition, we have a responsibility to maintain our water and sewerage systems.

You also have obligations in relation to maintaining your systems and infrastructure.  A detailed list of our respective obligations are available in Schedule 3.

Schedule 1

Schedule 2 – Permanent Water Saving Rules

Penalties for contravening restrictions in PWSRs

Permanent water saving rules are enforced under the Water Act 1989. Penalties apply for breaches. A full copy of our Permanent Water Saving Plan is available on our website https://www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/water-and-waste/permanent-water-saving-rules.

Schedule 3 – Maintenance obligations

1. Water Service Pipes

a) We will maintain the water service pipe from our water main up to:

• the first water meter installed after the water main; or
• the property boundary if the first water meter is more than two metres inside the property boundary or there is no accessible stop valve; or
• the first accessible stop valve where the first water meter or part of the water service pipe is within or beneath the walls of a structure built on the serviced property or where there is no water meter. An ‘accessible stop valve’ means a stop valve that is placed above ground or is placed below ground within a stop valve cover approved by us.

b) You are responsible for:

• the maintenance of parts of the water service pipe that we are not responsible for maintaining under items (1) to (3) above;
• the maintenance of back flow prevention devices;
• the maintenance of fire services;
• the maintenance of private extensions or trunk services, or water service pipes from private extensions; and
• the installation, maintenance, repair and replacement of any meter pit, pit lid or meter cage.

c) If you are supplied with a water supply under a separate written agreement, you are responsible for:

• the maintenance (including replacement) of a backflow prevention device installed at the outlet of the meter;
• the maintenance (including replacement) of a private fire service;
• the maintenance (including replacement) of any private extension or trunk service or property service pipes from private extensions.

2. Sewer Connection Drains

a) If the sewer main is located inside the property boundary, we will maintain the sewer connection drain from our sewer main up to:

• the first inspection opening installed after the sewer main; or
• one metre from the sewer main if the first inspection opening is located more than one meter from the sewer main; or
• one metre from the sewer main if there is no inspection opening.

b) If the sewer main is located outside the property boundary, we will maintain the sewer connection drain from our sewer main up to:

• the first inspection opening installed inside the property boundary; or
• one metre inside the property boundary if the first inspection opening is located more than one metre inside the property boundary; or
• one metre inside the property boundary if there is no inspection opening located within the property boundary; or
• one metre from a structure where an inspection opening is not installed inside the property due to the close proximity of the structure to the property boundary.

c) You are responsible for:

• parts of the sewer connection drain that we are not responsible for maintaining under items (a) to (d) above;
• combined sewer connection drains located on another serviced property; or
• sewer connection drains from private extensions.

If you have any questions about your responsibilities or experience any problems with your water or sewer services, please call our Contact Centre 1300 656 007.

Schedule 4 – Service rebates and guarantees

1. Water supply reliability guarantee

a) If there are more than 5 unplanned interruptions to the services supplying water to your property in any 12-month period, your account will be credited $98 as soon as possible.

2. Sewerage service reliability guarantee

a) On notification from you of an unplanned interruption to the sewerage service at your property, we will attend and reinstate the service.

b) Subject to the exclusions listed below, if there are more than 3 unplanned interruptions to the sewerage service to your property from our system in any 12- month period, your account will be credited $98 as soon as possible.

c) Subject to the exclusions listed below, if there are more than 2 sewer spills from our system on to your property in any 12-month period, your account will be credited with $749 as soon as possible.

3. Hardship related guarantee

a) If we restrict your water supply or take legal action against you prior to making reasonable efforts to contact you; and

b) provide information about help that is available if you are experiencing difficulties paying your bill, your account will be credited with $448 as soon as possible.

4. Sewer Spill Guarantee

a) In the event that you experience a sewer spill inside your property, we will attend and support you with the reinstatement.

b) Subject to the exclusions listed below, if the sewer spill is caused by a fault or failure within Barwon Water’s sewerage system, in recognition of the inconvenience of this occurrence, Barwon Water will credit your account with $1,036 as soon as possible.

c) If you experience a “blowback” event, where sewage bubbles up or escapes from your toilet, we will attend and support you with the reinstatement but these events are not eligible for this payment.

d) Where a property is occupied by a tenant and the tenant is a customer, only the tenant’s account will be credited for the failure of our sewer system.

5. Exclusions for guaranteed service level guarantee

a) We will not make a credit to your account for failure to meet a guaranteed service level if an event is caused by, or is the responsibility of, you or a third party.

b) Where a property is occupied by a tenant and the tenant is a customer, only the tenant’s account will be credited for our failure to meet a guaranteed service level.

c) If you are supplied with water by a separate written agreement, this clause does not apply. Please refer to the conditions of your agreement and more information is available in Part E of our full customer charter.

6. Sewer Spill Investigation Program

a) We will investigate any sewer incident that affects your property and, where there has been a failure of our sewer system, we will place an ex-gratia sewer incident credit on your account totaling 50% of the annual residential sewer service charge.

b) We will not make a credit to your account if our investigation reveals that an event is caused by, or is the responsibility of, you or a third party.

c) Where a property is occupied by a tenant and the tenant is a customer, only the tenant’s account will be credited for the failure of our sewer system.