Residential Water Prices in Adelaide

Residential Water Prices in Adelaide


Looking for ways to cut your monthly bills? Check your water bill. You may be getting soaked with unnecessary charges. There are ways to combat a costly water bill and stop from being overcharged, and we’ll mention a few. But before we do, let’s look at why your water costs so much.

Components in Your Water Bill

The water bill in South Australia is made up of two parts. The first is a fixed cost of $271.40 per year, split into quarterly payments. This cost is for the infrastructure and the fact that water is being supplied to your home.

The second part of the water bill is the tiered pricing for water that is actually used. Your water usage is divided into a daily threshold. If you stay within the Tier 1 threshold of less than 383.7 L per day, you pay $1.945 per kilolitre. Once you hit the threshold, the price jumps to $2.775 for anything over the 383.7 L and then to $3.007 when you hit 1,424.7 L per day.

Average Water Bill

The pricing structure above brings the average water bill to $324 per quarter in Adelaide. This price point tends to up in the summer months and down in the winter, and, of course, goes up the more people you have living in your household. This has over 45 per cent of the population looking for ways to save on their water bill.

Tips for Reducing Your Water Bill

The best way to save on water is to replace older fixtures and leaky pipes and toilets. The No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) can help with an affordable loan if needed. Replacing old fixtures and fixing the leaks can save you more than 60 L of water per day. This amount of water usage can quickly add up to put you in the Tier 2 bracket.

While you are looking at options for these fixes, some other quick hits that can help are:
  • Take a shower instead of a bath. The shorter the shower, the less water used.
  • Run a full load of laundry or dishes. These appliances use between 94-132 L of water each time you run them.
  • Water your lawn at dusk or dawn so the water doesn’t evaporate in the heat of the day. Be sure to water the soil and not the leaves so the roots get the moisture they need.
  • Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator so you don’t have to let the tap water run until it is cold.
  • Turn off the water while shaving and brushing your teeth to stop wasting water that just runs down the drain.

Even though the water bills in Adelaide are continually on the rise, you can take matters into your own hands by replacing leaky faucets and fixtures and doing some simple things around the house to help defray those costs. If you need help with where to start, call a plumber today and talk with them about how to repair your leaks and install new fixtures.