Frequently Asked Questions
How much does my water cost?
| Part 1 Access charge based on your meter size |
Plus | Part 2 Usage charge $1.45 per kilolitre up to 250kls Usage charge $2.00 per kilolitre after 250kls (1 kilolitre = 1000 litres) |
||
| ACCESS CHARGE | ||||
| Meter size | cost (p.a.) |
Usage charge | ||
| 20mm | $ 240 | ) | ||
| 25mm | $ 375 | ) | ||
| 32mm | $ 614 | ) | ||
| 40mm | $ 960 | ) | ||
| 50mm | $ 1500 | ) | ||
| 80mm | $ 3840 | ) | ||
| 100mm | $ 6000 | ) | ||
| 150mm | $13500 | ) | ||
| 200mm | $24000 | ) | ||
How much water does a general household use?
For a quick reference chart to assist you to find out how much water your household uses click on the link below.
Chart to calculate your household water consumption (226KB)
Usage Rates for Household Water Use
toilet
12 litre/single flush
6 litres/half flush
Your toilet consumes most of your your water, remember to check it for leaks.
The most common source of leaks is the toilet. Check toilets for leaks by placing a few drops of food colouring in the tank. If after 15 minutes the dye shows up in the bowl, the toilet has a leak.
bathroom
bath 50-150 litres/bath
shower 40-250 litres/shower
basin 5 litres/use
brushing teeth 5 litres/clean (if tap running)
garden
sprinkler 1000 litres/hour
car washing with a hose 200 litres/12 minutes
hosing driveway 125 litres/5 minutes
laundry
twin tub 40 litres/load
front loading machine 100 litres/load
top loading machine 170 litres/load
Tenants and Landlords....who pays?
A landlord cannot pass an Access Charge to the tenant but can pass on the Usage Charge to the tenant. Water usage will be an issue for tenants, as many tenants will receive an account for water usage.
A landlord may pass on the Usage Account to the tenant, or, may decide to increase the rent by a couple of dollars per week to cover the water usage account.
Check with your property manager or landlord to find out how your water account is paid. Your tenancy agreement will also indicate whether water usage accounts are passed on to the tenant.
What happens if a property has several meters?
Each water meter on a property attracts an Access Charge. If there are 4 water meters, there will be four access charges. If each meter delivers water to individual business, the payee is the individual business. If the meter delivery is not so clearly defined, the body corporate and/or businesses will need to consider how both the access and usage costs are to be distributed.
If I get a water tank, will I save money?
Yes, you can reduce your water usage costs by using tank water. There may, however, be a few points to consider. Here are some details to assist you but you will need to do your sums to see what may work for you.
Business customers may gain benefit from a water tank in two ways; use of rainwater and/or trickle feeding town water to a storage to reduce the meter size.
Using rainwater will reduce your water usage costs, but there are requirements to consider. NSW Health does not recommend the use of rainwater for consumption or where a town water supply exists. Using tank water outdoors is fine, for example in your gardens and it is also OK to use tank water for flushing toilets and the cold water supply to a washing machine. Check with NSW Health in Port Macquarie as to what restrictions may apply to your business. (Department of Health can also provide circulars on the proper maintenance of rainwater tanks).
Also, Council does have regulations on where and how you place a water tank for safety and amenity reasons. For example, there is a size limit in urban areas and you must have a first-flush device fitted. Council can supply you with more details on enquiry.
Some of Council's high-use water business customers have investigated the option of trickle feeding town water to a storage tank. They sought the advice of a hydraulics engineer to determine the minimum meter size to meet fire-fighting requirements and what costs/benefits a trickle feed system has for their businesses.
How often are water meters read?
Council now reads water meters on a quarterly basis. Accounts are issued in September, December, March and June. The water meter should, at all times, be easily accessible. It is important to ensure that the meter is not buried, overgrown with bushes or shrubs or covered in any way to prevent access for either the person reading the meter or, in the case of an emergency, should the water need to be turned off.
How are water restriction levels uniform across regions?
Water restrictions have recently been made uniform across the NSW North Coast Region from the Great Lakes area to the Tweed Shire.
This basically means that Kempsey Shire's Level 1 restrictions are similar to Hastings Shire Council's Level 1 restrictions and Kempsey Shire's Level 2 restrictions are similar to Hastings Level 2 restrictions etc. It does not mean that all the Councils or water utilities in this area have to be on the same restriction level at the same time.
The uniformity of water restrictions helps the community more accurately compare how their water supply is coping compared to neighbouring areas. It also means that Northern NSW residents are aware of what restrictions would be imposed at each restriction.
Even though we do not presently have water restrictions our Shire, Council needs the help of all its residents and visitors by being Waterwise. This means:-
- Understanding the local Kempsey watercycle
- Not wasting or taking water for granted
- Protecting our valuable water supplies so they are sustainable
The Kempsey Water Cycle is reliant upon the flow of the Macleay River. As we all know, the flow of the river is governed by rainfall in the upper Macleay catchment area (the area around Armidale and Walcha). Heavy rainfall in the Kempsey Shire does not necessarily mean a high river flow and no water restrictions.
Kempsey Shire has 5 stages of water restrictions. Staged water restrictions are imposed when Macleay River flows at rates below certain percentile bands. A flow percentile band is the percentage of time for which the river flows at a given rate. This rate is based on historically recorded figures.
For further information on the Kempsey Water Cycle please refer to graphic below (click on image to enlarge).
How often are the water mains flushed in Kempsey Shire?
Due to better water management, Macleay Water no longer undertakes water mains flushing. However, if your water is dirty please contact Council on 02 65663200 and we will endeavour to rectify the situation.