Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024 (Western Australia)

The Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024 (the Code) replaces the 2018 Code and sets minimum standards for the supply, billing, payment and customer‑service practices of licensed Western Australian water suppliers in respect of potable water, water that can be treated by the customer to make it potable, and sewerage services. The Code comes into force in stages: Part 1 (except clauses 3 to 7) on publication day, and the remainder on 1 July 2024, as recorded in clause 2 and the compilation table. Clause 57 expressly repeals the 2018 Code.

Mechanically the Code does the following, as expressed in its clauses:

Defines core terms and customer categories (clause 3), and prescribes the legal meaning of a payment plan for customers, including that payment plans for residential customers must be interest‑free and fee‑free (clause 4).
Sets connection information requirements and a standard supply connection performance benchmark of completion within 10 business days, with a 90 percent compliance rate target for the licensee in each 12‑month period (clauses 8 and 9).
Prescribes billing frequency and minimum content for bills, including separate rules for fixed charges and quantity charges, a requirement that quantity bills be issued at least once every 4 months and be based on meter readings where practicable, and a detailed list of mandatory bill items (clauses 10 to 16 and 13).
Regulates estimation, requested meter readings, undercharging and overcharging (clauses 14, 16, 18 and 19), including limits on recovery of undercharges to the 12 months before notice of the undercharge (clause 18(2)).
Requires licensees to offer specified payment methods, including Centrepay for residential customers eligible to use it, and to allow payment in advance, redirection of bills in certain illness or absence circumstances, and multiple payment assistance options including payment plans, subject to defined procedures (clauses 24 to 31, 27 and 28).

CrestWestern Australia

Water Services Act 2012

Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024

Western Australia

Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024

Contents

Part 1 — Preliminary

Citation 1
Commencement 1
Terms used 1
Meaning of payment plan 3
Application of code 4
Contracting out 5
Notes and examples not part of code 5

Part 2 — Connection of water services to land

Information about connections 6
Minimum performance standards for standard supply connections 6

Part 3 — Billing for water services

Bills other than for quantities supplied or discharged 8
Bills for quantities supplied or discharged 8
Sending bills 9
Information on bills 10
Estimates: licensee’s obligations 13
Information on bills if charge per kL varies depending on volume supplied 13
Requested meter readings, revised bills: licensee’s obligations 14
Leaks 15
Undercharging in bills 15
Overcharging in bills 17
Notice of alterations to charges 18
Review of bills 18
Review procedure 18

Part 4 — Payment for water services

Term used: consumer organisation 20
When payment due 20
Payment methods 20
Consent for direct debits 20
Payment in advance 21
Free redirection in case of absence or illness 21
Payment assistance 21
Payment plans 22
Variation of payment plans 23
Financial hardship policy 24
Assistance for customers experiencing financial hardship 24
Other matters relating to payment assistance 26
No interest or fees for late payment in certain cases 26
No debt collection in certain cases 27

Part 5 — Restricting the flow of water

Term used: water supply restriction 29
Reminder notice 29
Notice of water supply restriction 29
No water supply restriction in certain cases 30
No water supply restriction at certain times 32
Water flow not to be reduced below minimum rate 32
Restoration of water supply 32
Minimum performance standards for restoration of water supply 32

Part 6 — Faults, emergencies and interruptions affecting water services

Term used: supply area 35
Notice of matters that will affect a water supply service 35
Bursts, leaks, blockages and spills 35
Licensee to have 24‑hour information line 36

Part 7 — Complaints about water services

Procedure for dealing with complaints about water services 37
Advice about outcome of complaint 38

Part 8 — Information and communication services

Services and information to be provided without charge 39
Information to be widely available 39

Part 9 — Requirements for supply of water to persons with special requirements or needs

Terms used 43
Preserved supply register and advice to registered persons 43
No reduction of supply 44
Notices under clause 46 to persons on preserved supply register 45

Part 10 — Repeal

Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2018 repealed 46

Notes

Compilation table 47

Defined terms

Water Services Act 2012

Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024

Part 1 — Preliminary

1. Citation

	This code is the *Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024*.

2. Commencement

This code comes into operation as follows —

(a) Part 1 (other than clauses 3 to 7) — on the day on which this code is published on the WA legislation website;

(b) the rest of the code — on 1 July 2024.

3. Terms used

In this code —

AS, followed by a designation, refers to an Australian Standard having that designation that is published by Standards Australia;

bill means a bill for a water service charge;

bill for usage has the meaning given in clause 11(2);

business customer, of a licensee, means a customer of the licensee who is not a residential customer;

business day means a day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday throughout the State;

Centrepay means the facility that allows automatic deductions to be taken from Commonwealth Centrelink payments;

complaint means an expression of dissatisfaction made to or about a person who provides a water service, related to its products, services, staff or the handling of a complaint, for which a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected or legally required;

concession includes an exemption, discount or rebate;

connection means a connection of a water service to land;

estimate includes a calculation based on an estimate;

family violence has the meaning given in the Restraining Orders Act 1997 section 5A;

financial hardship, in relation to a customer who is a residential customer, means being in an ongoing state of financial disadvantage in which the ability of the customer to meet the basic living needs of the customer or a dependant of the customer would be adversely affected if the customer were to pay an outstanding amount;

financial hardship policy has the meaning given in clause 32;

National Interpreter Symbol means the national public information symbol “Interpreter Symbol” (with text) developed by the State of Victoria in partnership with the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments in accordance with AS 2342‑1992;

payment plan has the meaning given in clause 4;

publicly available, in relation to a document or information prepared or produced by a licensee, means that —

(a) a person may view the document or information on the licensee’s website, and download it from the licensee’s website at no charge; and

(b) in the case of a document — the licensee will provide the document as a hard copy on request and at no charge; and

(c) in the case of information — the licensee will provide the information as a hard copy document on request and at no charge;

residential customer, of a licensee, means a customer of the licensee who uses the place in respect of which a water service is provided solely or primarily as the customer’s dwelling;

section means section of the Act;

service interruption means the interruption, suspension or restriction of the provision of a water supply service under section 77;

water services ombudsman has the meaning given in section 65(1).

Note:

A word or expression used in this code has the same meaning as it has in the Act. See sections 26(5) and 27(5) and the Interpretation Act 1984 section 44.

[Clause 3 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 4.]

4. Meaning of payment plan

(1) A payment plan is an arrangement between a licensee and a customer which provides for the following —

(a) the customer is allowed to pay a bill, any arrears or a fee or charge (including a reduction, disconnection or restoration fee or charge) by 2 or more instalments while continuing to be provided with a water service;

(b) in the case of a residential customer — the arrangement is an interest‑free and fee‑free arrangement.

(2) In subclause (1), a fee‑free arrangement is an arrangement that does not include a fee or charge associated with the establishment or operation of a payment plan that would not otherwise be payable if the residential customer had not entered into the payment plan.

[Clause 4 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 5.]

5. Application of code

(1) This code applies to —

(a) each licensee that provides a water supply service, but only in respect of the supply of —

(i) potable water; or

(ii) water that is not potable but is able to be treated by the customer to make it fit for humans to drink;

and

(b) each licensee that provides a sewerage service.

Note for this subclause:

Under section 26(7), as applied by section 27(5), a provision of this code is of no effect to the extent to which it is inconsistent with a provision of the Act or another written law. For example, a provision of this code is of no effect to the extent to which it is inconsistent with a provision of the Local Government Act 1995, or regulations or local laws under that Act, in relation to a licensee that is a local government or a customer of a licensee that is a local government.

(2) If charges do not apply for the provision of a water service to a customer by a licensee, the application of this code to the provision of the water service is modified as follows —

(a) Parts 3 and 4 and clauses 37 to 41, 43(1), 52(1)(a), (b), (c), (g) and (h) and (2)(a) to (e) and 55 do not apply;

(b) clause 42 does not apply except to the extent that it applies to the reduction, under section 95(2), of the rate of flow of a supply of water;

(c) clause 44 does not apply except to the extent that it applies to the restoration of a supply of water which has been cut off, or the rate of flow of which has been reduced, under section 95(1)(a), (c), (d) or (e);

(d) clause 51(1) does not apply to the extent that it refers to account or payment enquiries;

(e) clause 51(2) does not apply to the extent that it refers to bills previously issued or previous billing periods;

(f) clause 52(5) does not apply to the extent that it refers to a requirement under clause 52(1)(a), (b), (c), (g) and (h) and (2)(a) to (e).

6. Contracting out

(1) Nothing in this code prevents a licensee and a business customer from entering into an agreement that varies or displaces the requirements of this code in relation to the licensee or customer.

(2) Subclause (3) applies if the licence of a licensee (the relevant licensee) is one to which Schedule 1 clause 10(1) of the Act applies.

(3) If an agreement between the relevant licensee and a customer that was in effect on 18 November 2013 and remains in effect has provisions that are inconsistent with this code in relation to the licensee or customer, the provisions of the agreement prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.

[Clause 6 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 6.]

7. Notes and examples not part of code

Notes and examples in this code are provided to assist understanding and do not form part of the code.

Part 2 — Connection of water services to land

8. Information about connections

(1) A licensee must have written information for customers about connections.

(2) The information must deal with the following —

(a) entitlements under section 73 to the provision of —

(i) water supply services; and

(ii) sewerage services;

(b) licensee functions under section 21 concerning the provision of —

(i) water supply services; and

(ii) sewerage services;

(d) how to apply for a connection;

(e) the things that a customer must do, and the things that must be complied with, before a connection is made;

(f) the fees that apply in relation to connections and when the fees are payable;

(g) the period mentioned in clause 9(2) in which standard supply connections as defined in clause 9(1) are required to be completed.

(3) The information must be publicly available.

9. Minimum performance standards for standard supply connections

(1) A connection is a standard supply connection if it —

(a) connects a metered water supply service to an existing main; and

(b) comprises 20 mm water supply pipes.

(2) A standard supply connection must be completed before the end of the period of 10 business days starting on the day on which both of these things have been complied with —

(a) the customer has done and complied with all the things that the customer must do and comply with before a standard supply connection is made; and

(b) the fees that apply in relation to the standard supply connection have been paid.

(3) Subclause (2) does not apply if the licensee and customer expressly agree otherwise.

(4) A licensee must ensure that there is a 90% compliance rate with subclause (2) in any 12‑month period ending on 30 June.

Part 3 — Billing for water services

10. Bills other than for quantities supplied or discharged

(1) In this clause —

fixed charge means a water service charge that is not a quantity charge as defined in clause 11(1).

(2) If fixed charges apply for the provision of a water service to a customer by a licensee, the licensee must, at least once in every 12‑month period, issue a bill for a fixed charge to the customer.

11. Bills for quantities supplied or discharged

(1) In this clause —

quantity charge means a water service charge based on the quantity of water supplied or wastewater discharged.

(2) If quantity charges apply for the provision of a water service to a customer by a licensee, the licensee must, at least once in every 4‑month period, issue a bill (a bill for usage) for a quantity charge to the customer.

(3) Subject to this clause, a bill for usage must be based on a meter reading to ascertain the quantity supplied or discharged.

(4) If an accurate meter reading is not possible, a bill for usage must be based on an estimate, in accordance with regulations mentioned in section 222(2)(h) (if any), of the quantity of water supplied or wastewater discharged.

(5) If an accurate meter reading is not possible and there are no applicable regulations, a bill for usage must be based on a reasonable estimate of supply or discharge —

(a) by referring to a daily average quantity of water supplied, or wastewater discharged, in a previous period; or

(b) by adjusting the quantity as measured by a faulty meter to take into account the effects of the fault; or

(6) Despite subclauses (4) and (5), at least once in every 12‑month period a bill for usage based on a meter reading must be issued.

(7) However, subclause (6) does not apply if the licensee —

(a) is satisfied that the customer has failed to comply with the Water Services Regulations 2013 regulation 24(1) in relation to the meter that is required to be read; and

(b) has given a compliance notice to the customer under the Water Services Regulations 2013 regulation 24(3) in relation to that meter within the last 12 months.

12. Sending bills

(1) A licensee must allow a customer to choose to receive bills —

(a) by post; or

(b) by email.

(2) A licensee must, when offering a choice under subclause (1), inform the customer of any charge for sending a bill.

(3) A bill sent by post must be sent —

(a) to the address of the place in respect of which the water service is provided; or

(b) if the customer nominates another address, to the nominated address.

(4) A bill sent by email must be sent to an email address provided by the customer (and if the customer does not provide an email address then the bill may be sent by post).

(5) A licensee must not charge a customer for sending a bill if the customer —

(a) has advised the licensee that they are affected by family violence; or

(b) is receiving a concession; or

(d) is recorded on the preserved supply register under Part 9.

[Clause 12 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 7.]

13. Information on bills

(1) In addition to any information required to be included on a customer’s bill under another provision of this code, a licensee must include the information set out in this clause on the customer’s bill.

(2) The bill must contain the following information —

(a) the customer’s name;

(b) the account number;

(d) any other address nominated by the customer for the sending of bills;

(e) the date on which the bill is issued;

(f) the charge payable;

(g) the water service for which the charge is payable;

(h) the date when payment is due;

(i) the nature and amount of any applicable concession;

(j) the amount of any interest or fees charged for late payment of amounts outstanding from previous bills;

(k) the amount of any arrears or credit standing to the customer’s name;

(l) the options for payment that are available to the customer;

(m) if applicable, a statement advising the customer that interest or fees may be charged for late payment of the bill;

(n) a statement advising the customer that the licensee can be contacted for assistance if the customer is experiencing problems paying the bill.

(3) A bill for usage for a metered water service must also contain the following information —

(a) whether the bill is based on —

(i) a meter reading; or

(ii) an estimate of the quantity of water supplied or the quantity of wastewater discharged;

(b) the billing period;

(d) the 2 most recent dates on which the quantity of water supplied or the quantity of wastewater discharged was ascertained, whether by a meter reading or an estimate;

(e) if the bill is based on a meter reading —

(i) the actual meter reading; and

(ii) the total quantity of water supplied or the quantity of wastewater discharged according to the meter reading;

(f) if the bill is based on an estimate, the total quantity of water supplied or the quantity of wastewater discharged according to the estimate;

(g) information, if available, about the customer’s water usage in the billing period compared with the customer’s water usage —

(i) in the previous billing period; and

(ii) in the corresponding billing period in the previous year.

(4) If a bill for usage for a metered water service is based on an estimate, the bill must inform the customer that the licensee will tell the customer on request —

(a) the basis of the estimate; and

(b) the reason for the estimate.

(5) The bill must contain the following general information —

(a) the licensee’s website address;

(b) a telephone number for account, payment and general enquiries;

(d) a Freecall telephone number for the office of the water services ombudsman;

(e) the telephone number of the 24‑hour information line provided under clause 48;

(f) contact details for account, payment and general enquiries for use by customers with hearing or speech impairment;

(g) for a residential customer, the telephone number for interpreter services together with the National Interpreter Symbol and the words “Interpreter Services”;

(h) a statement that the website contains information about estimates, meter reading and testing, complaints and review;

(i) a statement that the bill can be reviewed in accordance with the licensee’s review procedure mentioned in clause 22.

(6) A bill may be issued for 2 or more water services whether the water services are provided in respect of the same place or in respect of different places.

(7) A bill issued for 2 or more water services must specify the charge payable for each water service.

14. Estimates: licensee’s obligations

(1) If a bill is based on an estimate, the licensee must tell the customer, on request —

(a) the basis of the estimate; and

(b) the reason for the estimate.

(2) If a bill is based on an estimate, the licensee must make any necessary adjustments to the next bill to take into account the extent to which the estimate was not reasonable having regard to a subsequent and accurate meter reading.

15. Information on bills if charge per kL varies depending on volume supplied

(1) In this clause —

consumption year, for a customer, means —

(a) if the Water Services (Water Corporations Charges) Regulations 2014 apply to the licensee — the period determined under those regulations as the consumption year for the land where the place at which water is supplied to the customer is located; or

(b) in any other case — the period notified by the licensee to the customer as the customer’s consumption year;

tariff means the charge per kL of water supplied.

(2) This clause applies to a bill for usage if —

(a) the amount of water supplied to a customer during a consumption year is divided for charging purposes into 2 or more volumetric ranges; and

(b) tariffs differ for water supplied within different volumetric ranges.

Examples of volumetric ranges for paragraph (a):

up to 150 kL.
over 150 kL but not over 350 kL.

(3) Each bill for usage to which this clause applies must, in addition to the requirements of clause 13, contain the following information —

(a) the tariff for each volumetric range within which water has been supplied to the customer;

(b) how much more water the customer can be supplied with before supply will start to be in the next volumetric range;

(d) the day on which, or the month during which, the customer’s next consumption year starts, which is when the tariff for water supplied to the customer will revert to the lowest tariff.

16. Requested meter readings, revised bills: licensee’s obligations

(1) In the case of a metered water service, the licensee must provide to the customer on request either or both of the following —

(a) a meter reading and bill to determine the outstanding charge for a period that is not the same as the usual billing cycle;

(b) if the customer disputes an estimate on which a bill is based, a meter reading and revised bill.

(2) A licensee is not required to provide, under subclause (1)(a) or (b), a meter reading, bill or revised bill if —

(a) the meter is not operable; or

(b) a fee that applies to providing the reading or bill has not been paid.

17. Leaks

(1) In this clause —

customer’s system means any fitting, fixture or pipe for which a customer, or the occupier of land owned by a customer, is responsible for the purposes of section 92(1).

(2) A licensee must have a written policy, standard or set of guidelines in relation to the granting of a discount to a customer whose meter reading indicates a water usage that is higher than normal for the customer but is likely to have been wasted because of a leak from the customer’s system.

(3) The policy, standard or guidelines must be publicly available.

18. Undercharging in bills

(1) A licensee may recover from a customer an amount (the undercharged amount) that has not been, but could have been, the subject of a bill.

(2) The undercharged amount cannot be recovered from the customer unless it is for water services provided in the 12‑month period ending on the day on which the licensee informed the customer that the customer has not been charged for the undercharged amount.

(3) The undercharged amount must be the subject of, and explained in —

(a) a special bill for the undercharged amount; or

(b) a separate item in the next bill.

(4) The licensee must not charge interest or late payment fees on the undercharged amount.

(5) The licensee must allow the customer to pay the undercharged amount by way of a repayment plan that has effect for the shorter of the following periods starting on the day on which the bill mentioned in subclause (3)(a) or (b) is issued, as is applicable in the case —

(a) a period for the same amount of time in which the undercharging occurred;

(b) a period of 12 months.

(6) Subclauses (2), (4), and (5) do not apply if the undercharging occurred as a result of the fraudulent or illegal conduct of the customer.

(7) Subclause (4) does not apply if —

(a) the licensee has complied with subclause (3); and

(b) the customer fails to pay the undercharged amount by the date when payment is due and does not enter into a repayment plan under subclause (5).

(8) However, subclause (7) does not apply if —

(a) the licensee has assessed, under its financial hardship policy, that the customer is experiencing financial hardship or that the recovery of the undercharge will result in the customer experiencing financial hardship; or

(b) the customer has made a complaint directly related to the undercharged amount to the licensee or the water services ombudsman and —

(i) if the complaint has been made to the licensee — the complaint has not been resolved by the licensee, or the complaint has been resolved in favour of the customer; or

(ii) if the complaint has been made to the water services ombudsman — the complaint has not been determined or has been upheld by the water services ombudsman.

(9) Subclause (8)(b)(ii) does not apply unless the licensee has been advised by the water services ombudsman that the customer has made the complaint.

19. Overcharging in bills

(1) This clause applies if —

(a) a licensee has overcharged a customer by including an amount (the overcharged amount) in a bill that should not have been included in the bill; and

(b) the customer has paid the bill, including the overcharged amount.

(2) The licensee must, before the end of the period of 15 business days starting on the day on which the licensee became aware of the overcharging —

(a) credit the overcharged amount to the customer’s account; or

(b) send the customer a notice (an overcharging notice) informing the customer of the overcharging and recommending options for how the overcharged amount may be refunded to the customer or credited to the customer’s account.

(3) If the licensee sends the customer an overcharging notice and receives instructions from the customer about the refunding or crediting of the overcharged amount, the licensee must, in accordance with the instructions, refund the overcharged amount, or credit the overcharged amount to the customer’s account, before the end of the period of 15 business days starting on the day on which the licensee receives the instructions.

(4) If instructions from the customer about the refunding or crediting of the overcharged amount are not received by the licensee by the end of the period of 10 business days starting on the day on which an overcharging notice is sent, the licensee must credit the overcharged amount to the customer’s account before the end of the period of the next 15 business days.

(5) The licensee must notify the customer immediately after crediting the overcharged amount to the customer’s account under this clause.

20. Notice of alterations to charges

(1) A licensee must notify each of its customers of any change to the amount or rate of a water service charge.

(2) The notification —

(a) must be given not later than when the next bill for a water service charge of that kind is issued under clause 10(2) or 11(2), as the case may be, and sent to the customer under clause 12; and

(b) may be included in that next bill.

21. Review of bills

(1) A licensee must review a bill on the customer’s request.

(2) The licensee must inform the customer of the outcome of a review of the customer’s bill as soon as practicable but no later than the end of the period of 20 business days starting on the day on which the customer’s request for review is received.

(3) If the licensee does not complete a review before the end of the period of 20 business days under subclause (2), the licensee must notify the customer of the status of the review as soon as practicable after the end of that period.

22. Review procedure

(1) A licensee must have a written procedure (the review procedure) for the review of a bill on the customer’s request.

(2) The review procedure must include information about the following —

(a) requesting a meter reading or the testing of a meter as mentioned in clause 52(2)(c) and (d);

(b) what happens if, on review, it is found that the customer has been undercharged or overcharged;

(3) In relation to subclause (2)(c), the review procedure must state that the customer may, but is not required to, use the licensee’s complaints procedure mentioned in clause 49 before or instead of —

(a) applying to the water services ombudsman under a scheme approved under section 65 in respect of the complaint; or

(b) making an appeal from, or applying for a review of, the decision that gave rise to the customer’s request for review, if an appeal or review is available under regulations mentioned in section 222(2)(k).

(4) The review procedure must be publicly available.

Part 4 — Payment for water services

23. Term used: consumer organisation

In this Part —

consumer organisation means an organisation that represents the interest of customers as consumers.

24. When payment due

The time set by a licensee for the payment of a bill must be after the end of the period of 14 days starting on the day on which the bill is issued.

25. Payment methods

(1) A licensee must allow a customer to pay a bill by any of the following methods selected by the customer —

(a) in the case of a residential customer — Centrepay (for those customers who are able to use this facility);

(b) internet;

(d) post.

(2) A licensee must, when offering bill payment method options, inform customers of the fees and charges (if any) associated with each bill payment method offered.

(3) Nothing in subclause (1) prevents a licensee from providing another bill payment method in addition to those set out in that subclause.

26. Consent for direct debits

(1) If under clause 25(3) a licensee allows a customer to pay a bill by direct debit, the licensee must, before receiving a bill payment by direct debit for the first time, obtain the express consent of —

(a) the customer; or

(b) an adult person nominated by the customer to give consent.

(2) A consent or nomination under subclause (1) may be oral or written.

27. Payment in advance

(1) A licensee must accept payment in advance from a customer on the customer’s request.

(2) A licensee is not required to credit interest to an amount paid in advance.

28. Free redirection in case of absence or illness

A licensee must redirect a customer’s bills to another person on the customer’s request and at no charge if the customer is or will be unable to pay the bills because of the customer’s absence or illness.

29. Payment assistance

(1) This clause applies to —

(a) a residential customer; and

(b) a business customer who has notified a licensee that the customer is experiencing payment difficulties.

(2) Subject to this Part, a licensee must make the following available to the customer —

(a) additional time to pay a bill;

(b) a payment plan for an amount owing by the customer to the licensee.

(3) However, a customer is only entitled to select 1 option under subclause (2) once per bill.

[Clause 29 inserted: SL 2024/106 cl. 8.]

30. Payment plans

(1) When formulating a payment plan to assist a customer the licensee must take into account —

(a) the customer’s capacity to pay any bill; and

(b) in the case of a bill for usage, how much water has been supplied or wastewater has been discharged in previous billing periods.

(2) If a customer has, in the previous 12 months, had 2 payment plans cancelled due to non‑compliance, a licensee is not required to offer the customer another payment plan unless the licensee is satisfied that the customer will comply with the payment plan.

(3) For the purposes of subclause (2), cancellation does not include the variation of a payment plan under clause 31.

(4) If a customer accepts a payment plan, the licensee must, within 5 business days after the customer accepts the payment plan, provide the customer with information in writing that specifies —

(a) the terms of the payment plan, including the number of payments, the amount of each payment, when each payment must be made and how the payments are calculated; and

(b) the consequences of not complying with the payment plan, including when the payment plan may be cancelled; and

(c) that contact should be made with the licensee to ask for further assistance if the customer cannot comply with, or continue to comply with, the payment plan.

(5) However, a licensee is not required to comply with subclause (4) if the licensee has provided to the customer the information referred to in that subclause within the preceding 12 months.

(6) A licensee must, in relation to a residential customer for whom a payment plan is being considered, offer the customer assistance to manage their bills for ongoing provision of services during the period of the payment plan.

Examples for this subclause:

A licensee may offer to assist a customer —

(a) by estimating the customer’s usage over the period of the plan and building this into any repayment schedule at the start of the plan; or

(b) by giving consideration to rolling new bills into the plan as time progresses.

(7) A licensee must, in relation to a business customer, consider and decide whether or not a payment plan should be interest‑free, fee‑free, or both.

[Clause 30 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 9.]

31. Variation of payment plans

(1) A licensee must review a payment plan at the request of a customer.

(2) The licensee must offer to vary a payment plan if a review under subclause (1) indicates that the customer is unable to meet obligations under the payment plan.

(3) The licensee must, within 5 business days after the customer accepts an offer to vary the payment plan, provide the customer with information that clearly explains, and assists the customer to understand, the variation.

(4) A licensee must not vary a payment plan without the customer’s agreement.

(5) An agreement under subclause (4) must relate to the particular variation rather than under a general agreement to future variations.

(6) Nothing in this clause prevents a licensee from cancelling a payment plan if the customer fails to comply with the payment plan.

32. Financial hardship policy

(1) A licensee must have a written policy (a financial hardship policy) in relation to financial hardship.

(2) A licensee’s financial hardship policy does not have effect unless it is approved by the Authority.

(3) Unless the Authority approves otherwise, a licensee’s financial hardship policy must comply with the Authority’s guidelines (if any) in relation to financial hardship policies.

(4) Subclauses (2) and (3) also apply to amendments to a licensee’s financial hardship policy.

(5) A licensee’s financial hardship policy must be in effect before the end of the 6‑month period starting on the day of the grant of the licensee’s licence.

(6) The financial hardship policy must be publicly available.

(7) A licensee must review its financial hardship policy if directed to do so by the Authority.

(8) A licensee must consult with relevant consumer organisations whenever the licensee is —

(a) developing a financial hardship policy; or

(b) making a material amendment to its financial hardship policy.

33. Assistance for customers experiencing financial hardship

(1) This clause applies if —

(a) a licensee has sent a bill to a customer who is a residential customer; and

(b) the licensee has assessed, under its financial hardship policy, that the customer is experiencing financial hardship.

(2) The licensee must —

(a) advise the customer that the customer has a right to pay the bill under an interest‑free and fee‑free payment plan or other arrangement under which the customer is given more time to pay the bill or to pay arrears; and

(b) offer to enter into an appropriate plan or arrangement with the customer.

(3) When formulating a payment plan or other arrangement for a customer under this clause the licensee must take into account —

(a) the customer’s capacity to pay the bill; and

(b) in the case of a bill for usage, how much water has been supplied or wastewater has been discharged in previous billing periods.

(4) In addition to the requirements of subclauses (2) and (3), the licensee must —

(a) consider reducing an amount owing by the customer to the licensee; and

(b) at the customer’s request, review how the customer is paying the bill under a payment plan or other arrangement entered into under subclause (2) and, if the review indicates that the customer is unable to meet obligations under the plan or arrangement, revise it; and

(i) redirecting the bill free of charge under clause 28; and

(ii) the bill payment methods provided by the licensee; and

(iii) applying for concessions to which the customer may be entitled; and

(iv) seeking independent financial counselling or seeking advice from relevant consumer organisations; and

(v) applying for any other financial assistance to which the customer may be entitled including from Government‑funded grant schemes.

34. Other matters relating to payment assistance

(1) In this clause —

payment scheme means a payment plan or other arrangement under clause 29, 30 or 33(2).

(2) Nothing in clause 29, 30 or 33 prevents a licensee from offering a payment arrangement or other kind of assistance in addition to a payment scheme.

(3) Despite clause 29, 30 or 33, a licensee is not required to, but may, offer a payment scheme to a customer who has had 2 payment schemes cancelled because they have not been complied with.

(4) A licensee must have written information about the payment schemes and other assistance that it has available to customers for the purposes of clause 29, 30 or 33.

(5) The information must be publicly available.

[Clause 34 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 10.]

35. No interest or fees for late payment in certain cases

(1) A licensee must not charge interest or fees for late payment of a bill by a customer —

(a) if the customer is a residential customer and the licensee has allowed the customer additional time to pay the bill under clause 29(2)(a) or 33(2)(a) and the bill is paid within that time; or

(b) if the licensee has assessed that the customer is experiencing financial hardship; or

(c) if a complaint made by the customer to the licensee that directly relates to the non‑payment of the bill is not resolved; or

(d) if a complaint made by the customer to the water services ombudsman that directly relates to the non‑payment of the bill is not determined or is upheld by the water services ombudsman.

(2) Subclause (1)(d) does not apply unless the licensee has been advised by the water services ombudsman that the customer has made the complaint.

[Clause 35 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 11.]

36. No debt collection in certain cases

(1) A licensee must not commence or continue proceedings to recover a debt from a customer if —

(a) the customer is complying with a payment plan or other arrangement entered into under clause 29, 30 or 33(2); or

[(b) deleted]

(c) the licensee is assessing, under its financial hardship policy, whether or not the customer is experiencing financial hardship; or

(d) a complaint made by the customer to the licensee that directly relates to the water service charge to which the debt relates is not resolved; or

(e) a complaint made by the customer to the water services ombudsman that directly relates to the water service charge to which the debt relates is not determined or is upheld by the water services ombudsman.

(2) Subclause (1)(e) does not apply unless the licensee has been advised by the water services ombudsman that the customer has made the complaint.

[Clause 36 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 12.]

Part 5 — Restricting the flow of water

37. Term used: water supply restriction

In this Part —

water supply restriction means —

(a) a reduction, under section 95(1)(b), in the rate of flow of a supply of water to a customer because of an unpaid water service charge; or

(b) the cutting off, under section 95(1)(b), of a supply of water to a customer because of an unpaid water service charge.

Note:

Under section 95(3) a licensee cannot cut off the supply of water to an occupied dwelling unless the occupier agrees to that.

38. Reminder notice

If a water service charge has become due and has not been paid in full, the licensee may give the customer a written reminder notice advising the customer —

(a) of the amount of the unpaid water service charge and the date on which it became due; and

(b) of the licensee’s telephone number for account, payment and general enquiries; and

(c) that the licensee can be contacted for assistance if the customer is experiencing problems paying the bill for the unpaid water service charge.

39. Notice of water supply restriction

(1) A licensee must not start a water supply restriction unless —

(a) the licensee has given the customer a reminder notice under clause 38; and

(b) the water service charge (including any interest or fees charged for late payment) has still not been paid in full; and

(c) the licensee has given written notice (a restriction notice) of the proposed water supply restriction to the customer.

(2) A restriction notice must not be given less than 7 days before the day on which the water supply restriction is proposed to start.

(3) A restriction notice must, in addition to anything else —

(a) explain the reason for the proposed water supply restriction; and

(b) advise the customer of the earliest date on which the water supply restriction may start; and

(c) inform the customer of the existence and operation of the licensee’s complaints procedure mentioned in clause 49; and

(d) inform the customer of the procedures available to the customer under the Act for applying to the water services ombudsman under a scheme approved under section 65 and provide a Freecall telephone number for the office of the water services ombudsman; and

(e) inform the customer of the applicable procedures, including any costs, for the restoration of the water supply if the water supply restriction is started.

40. No water supply restriction in certain cases

(1) A licensee must not start a water supply restriction if —

(a) the amount owing is less than $200; or

[(b) deleted]

(c) the licensee is assessing, under its financial hardship policy, whether or not the customer is experiencing financial hardship; or

(d) the customer is experiencing payment difficulties or financial hardship and is complying with a payment plan or other arrangement under which the customer has been given more time to pay the bill or to pay arrears; or

(e) a complaint made by the customer to the licensee that directly relates to the water service charge is not resolved; or

(f) a complaint made by the customer to the water services ombudsman that directly relates to the water service charge is not determined or is upheld by the water services ombudsman; or

(g) the customer has applied for a concession or other financial assistance to which the customer may be entitled and a decision on the application has not yet been made; or

(h) the supply of water is to a place occupied by a tenant and the customer is liable to pay the amount owing.

(2) Subclause (1)(f) does not apply unless the licensee has been advised by the water services ombudsman that the customer has made the complaint.

(3) An agreement referred to in clause 6(1) does not vary or displace the operation of subclause (1)(h) if the tenant uses the place as a dwelling.

Note:

For more provisions about when water flow cannot be restricted see clauses 41 and 55.

[Clause 40 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 13.]

41. No water supply restriction at certain times

A licensee must not start a water supply restriction —

(a) on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or public holiday or on the day before a public holiday; or

(b) on a day on which a total fire ban has effect under the Bush Fires Act 1954 in the area of the State in which the place at which water is supplied to the customer is located; or

42. Water flow not to be reduced below minimum rate

A licensee must not, under section 95(1)(b) or (2), reduce the rate of flow of a supply of water to a customer to below 2.3 litres each minute.

43. Restoration of water supply

(1) A licensee that has, under section 95(1)(b), cut off or reduced the rate of flow of a supply of water to land must restore the supply of water if —

(a) the amount owing is paid; or

(b) the customer enters into an arrangement satisfactory to the licensee for the payment of the amount owing.

(2) A licensee that has under section 95(1)(a), (c), (d) or (e), cut off or reduced the rate of flow of a supply of water to land must restore the supply of water if the licensee is satisfied that the reason for the disconnection or reduction no longer applies.

44. Minimum performance standards for restoration of water supply

(1) In this clause —

metropolitan region means the region described in the Planning and Development Act 2005 Schedule 3;

restoration event means —

(a) payment under clause 43(1)(a); or

(b) entering into an arrangement under clause 43(1)(b); or

restore means to restore a supply of water to a customer, or the rate of flow of a supply of water to a customer, after —

(a) a water supply restriction has started; or

(b) a supply of water has been cut off, or the rate of flow of a supply of water has been reduced, under section 95(1)(a), (c), (d) or (e).

(2) If the licensee is the Water Corporation and the land is in the metropolitan region, the Water Corporation must restore a water supply —

(a) if the restoration event occurs before 3 pm on a business day, by the next business day; or

(b) if the restoration event occurs at any other time, within the next 2 business days.

(3) If the licensee is the Water Corporation and the land is outside the metropolitan region, the Water Corporation must restore a water supply —

(a) if the restoration event occurs before 3 pm on a business day, within the next 2 business days; and

(b) if the restoration event occurs at any other time, within the next 3 business days.

(4) The Water Corporation must ensure that there is a compliance rate of at least 90% with both of subclauses (2) and (3) in any 12‑month period ending on 30 June.

(5) A licensee other than the Water Corporation must restore a water supply —

(a) if the restoration event occurs before 3 pm on a business day, by the next business day; and

(b) if the restoration event occurs at any other time, within the next 2 business days.

(6) A licensee other than the Water Corporation must ensure that there is a compliance rate of at least 90% with subclause (5) in any 12‑month period ending on 30 June.

(7) Subclauses (2), (3) and (5) do not apply to the extent that the licensee and customer expressly agree otherwise.

Part 6 — Faults, emergencies and interruptions affecting water services

45. Term used: supply area

In this Part —

supply area means the area in which a place in respect of which a water supply service is provided is located.

46. Notice of matters that will affect a water supply service

(1) A licensee must give notice of a planned service interruption to each customer that will be affected by the service interruption.

(2) The notice must be given —

(a) not less than 48 hours before the start of the service interruption; or

(b) if it is not reasonably practicable to comply with paragraph (a), at the earliest practicable time before the start of the service interruption.

(3) The notice may be —

(a) sent in the same way as bills are sent under clause 12 (using the same postal or email address) or to the place in respect of which the water supply service is provided; or

(b) given by broadcast on a television or radio station broadcasting to the supply area; or

(d) given by electronic means.

47. Bursts, leaks, blockages and spills

(1) A licensee must have policies, practices and procedures for dealing with and minimising the impact of a burst, leak or blockage in its water supply works or sewerage works.

(2) The policies, practices and procedures under subclause (1) must deal with at least the following matters —

(a) prompt attendance at a site after becoming aware of the existence of a burst, leak or blockage;

(b) the action or actions that must be taken to rectify a burst, leak or blockage, taking into account the potential or actual impact on —

(i) customers; and

(ii) other persons or entities affected by the burst, leak or blockage; and

(iii) property; and

(iv) the environment;

(c) the action or actions that must be taken to ensure that, in the event of a wastewater spill from the sewerage works of the licensee onto a customer’s property, damage and inconvenience to the customer and other persons or entities are minimised;

(d) the action or actions that must be taken to ensure that, in the event of a wastewater spill from the sewerage works of the licensee, the spill is promptly cleaned and the affected area is disinfected.

(3) The policies, practices and procedures under subclause (1) may be set out in 1 or more documents.

48. Licensee to have 24‑hour information line

A licensee must provide a 24‑hour information line by means of which, at the cost of a local telephone call (excluding mobile telephones), a customer can —

(a) notify the licensee of emergencies and faults; and

(b) get information about the reason for, and the expected duration of, any unplanned service interruption.

Part 7 — Complaints about water services

49. Procedure for dealing with complaints about water services

(1) A licensee must have a written procedure (a complaints procedure) in relation to investigating and dealing with complaints of customers about the provision of a water service by the licensee or a failure by the licensee to provide a water service.

(2) The complaints procedure must be developed using as minimum standards the relevant provisions of —

(a) AS 10002:2022; and

(b) the Authority’s guidelines (if any).

(3) The complaints procedure must provide for the following —

(a) how complaints are to be lodged and recorded;

(b) acknowledging a complaint within 10 business days after the complaint is received;

(d) methods for responding to complaints;

(e) dispute resolution arrangements.

(4) The complaints procedure must list the procedures available to the customer under the Act as to —

(a) applying to the water services ombudsman under a scheme approved under section 65 in respect of the complaint; or

(b) making an appeal from, or applying for a review of, the decision that gave rise to the complaint, if an appeal or review is available under regulations mentioned in section 222(2)(k).

(5) The complaints procedure must be publicly available.

50. Advice about outcome of complaint

A licensee must —

(a) inform the customer of the outcome of a complaint; and

(b) unless the customer has advised the licensee that the complaint has been resolved in a manner acceptable to the customer, inform the customer —

(i) of the licensee’s reasons for the outcome; and

(ii) that if the customer is not satisfied with the outcome, the customer has a right to apply to the water services ombudsman under a scheme approved under section 65 for a review of the complaint; and

(iii) of a Freecall telephone number for the office of the water services ombudsman.

Part 8 — Information and communication services

51. Services and information to be provided without charge

(1) A licensee must provide a customer with the following on request and at no charge —

(a) services for account, payment and general enquiries for use by customers with hearing or speech impairment;

(b) interpreter services for account, payment and general enquiries;

(2) A licensee must make available to each customer, on request and at no charge, the customer’s personal account information including information about bills previously issued to the customer and about the quantity of water supplied to, or wastewater discharged by, the customer in previous billing periods.

(3) A licensee must provide the information requested under subclause (2) within 5 business days after the request is made.

52. Information to be widely available

(1) A licensee must make information about the following matters publicly available —

(a) the fees and charges that will be imposed and collected by the licensee;

(b) the licensee’s bill payment method options and the fees and charges (if any) associated with each bill payment method offered;

(d) the services provided by the licensee under clause 51;

(e) the power of a person authorised by a licensee under section 129 to enter a place without consent, notice or warrant to read a meter connected to the licensee’s water service works;

(f) the obligations of customers under the regulations to ensure that access to a meter is available;

(g) that under section 95(1)(b), the licensee may cut off, or reduce the rate of flow of, a supply of water if a water service charge remains unpaid for 30 days after it becomes due (subject to the qualification that the licensee cannot cut off the supply of water to an occupied dwelling unless the occupier agrees to that);

(h) that if the customer is offered a payment plan or other arrangement giving the customer more time to pay the bill or to pay arrears, the licensee’s power as mentioned in paragraph (g) can only be exercised if, having entered into such a plan or arrangement, the customer does not comply with it;

(i) that under section 95(3), the supply of water cannot be cut off to an occupied dwelling unless the occupier agrees;

(j) the quality of water and its management;

(k) sustainable use of water;

(l) planned and unplanned interruptions of water supply or other incidents that may significantly affect the provision of water services to customers.

(2) A licensee must ensure that the following information about bills may be obtained from its website —

(a) if a bill is based on an estimate, that the licensee will tell a customer on request —

(i) the basis of the estimate; and

(ii) the reason for the estimate;

(b) that in the case of a metered water service, a customer may request a meter reading and bill to determine the outstanding charge for a period that is not the same as the usual billing cycle;

(c) that in the case where a customer disputes an estimate on which a bill is based, the customer may request a meter reading (if the water service is metered and the meter is operable) and in any event a revised bill and, if the customer so requests, information about the fees that apply;

(d) that a customer may request, in accordance with the regulations mentioned in section 79(3)(b), the testing of a meter and, if the customer so requests, information about the fees that apply and when the fees may be reimbursed in accordance with the regulations mentioned in section 79(3)(c);

(e) that the bill can be reviewed in accordance with the licensee’s review procedure mentioned in clause 22;

(f) that complaints about the provision of a water service by the licensee or a failure by the licensee to provide a water service can be made in accordance with the licensee’s complaints procedure mentioned in clause 49.

(3) A licensee must ensure that the following information about Part 9 may be obtained from its website —

(a) that a person mentioned in clause 54(1)(a) or (b) may apply to be recorded on a register under that Part;

(b) the process for applying to be recorded on a register under that Part;

(4) A licensee must ensure that its website contains a link that provides access to the current version of this code appearing on the WA legislation website.

(5) The requirements under this clause are in addition to the requirements under clauses 8(3), 17(3), 22(4), 32(6), 34(5) and 49(5).

Part 9 — Requirements for supply of water to persons with special requirements or needs

53. Terms used

In this Part —

preserved supply register, in relation to a licensee, means the register maintained by the licensee under clause 54;

supply address means the address of a place at which water is supplied by a licensee to a customer.

54. Preserved supply register and advice to registered persons

(1) This clause applies if a licensee —

(a) receives notice or otherwise becomes aware that a person who resides at a supply address requires water for the operation of a dialysis machine or other life support equipment; or

(b) assesses and determines that a person who resides at a supply address requires water for a special need of another kind.

(2) The licensee must —

(a) maintain an up‑to‑date register for the purposes of this Part; and

(b) record on the register, in relation to each person mentioned in subclause (1)(a) or (b) —

(i) the name of the person and their preferred contact details (to the extent known to the licensee); and

(ii) the supply address.

(3) The licensee must, within 5 business days after recording a person on the register, provide the following information in writing to the person —

(a) advice that there may be planned or unplanned service interruptions to the supply of water to the supply address, and that the licensee is required to provide notice of a planned service interruption in accordance with this code;

(b) advice about where to find information and communications about unplanned service interruptions on the licensee’s website;

(d) an emergency telephone contact number for the licensee (the charge of which will be no more than the cost of a local telephone call (excluding mobile telephones)).

(4) For the purposes of this clause, a person’s contact details are the following —

(a) a telephone number;

(b) an email address.

55. No reduction of supply

A licensee must not, under section 95(1)(b), reduce the rate of flow of a supply of water to a supply address recorded on the preserved supply register.

56. Notices under clause 46 to persons on preserved supply register

Despite clause 46(3), in the case of a service interruption that will affect a supply address recorded on the preserved supply register, the notice required by clause 46(1) must be —

(a) given —

(i) to the person using the person’s preferred contact details recorded on the register; or

(ii) by any form of electronic means agreed between the licensee and the person recorded on the register;

(b) if notice cannot be given under paragraph (a) —

(i) sent by post to the supply address; or

(ii) delivered to the supply address.

Part 10 — Repeal

57. Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2018 repealed

The Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2018 is repealed.

View image in the official source

Notes

This is a compilation of the Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024 and includes amendments made by other written laws. For provisions that have come into operation see the compilation table.

Compilation table

Citation	Published	Commencement
Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024	SL 2024/77 20 May 2024	Pt. 1 (other than cl. 3‑7): 20 May 2024 (see cl. 2(a)); Code other than Pt. 1 cl. 1 and 2: 1 Jul 2024 (see cl. 2(b))
Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) Amendment Code 2024	SL 2024/106 25 Jun 2024	cl. 1 and 2: 25 Jun 2024 (see cl. 2(a)); Code other than cl. 1 and 2: 1 Jul 2024 (see cl. 2(b))

Defined terms

[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]

Defined term Provision(s)

AS 3

bill 3

bill for usage 3, 11(2)

business customer 3

business day 3

Centrepay 3

complaint 3

complaints procedure 49(1)

concession 3

connection 3

consumer organisation 23

consumption year 15(1)

customer’s system 17(1)

estimate 3

family violence 3

fee-free arrangement 4(2)

financial hardship 3

financial hardship policy 3, 32(1)

fixed charge 10(1)

metropolitan region 44(1)

National Interpreter Symbol 3

overcharged amount 19(1)

overcharging notice 19(2)

payment plan 3, 4(1)

payment scheme 34(1)

preserved supply register 53

publicly available 3

quantity charge 11(1)

relevant licensee 6(2)

residential customer 3

restoration event 44(1)

restore 44(1)

restriction notice 39(1)

review procedure 22(1)

section 3

service interruption 3

standard supply connection 9(1)

supply address 53

supply area 45

tariff 15(1)

undercharged amount 18(1)

water services ombudsman 3

water supply restriction 37

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). To view relevant information and for a link to a copy of the licence, visit www.legislation.wa.gov.au.

By Authority: GEOFF O. LAWN, Government Printer

Western Australia

Water Services Act 2012

Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024

Western Australia

Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024

Contents

Part 1 — Preliminary

Citation 1
Commencement 1
Terms used 1
Meaning of payment plan 3
Application of code 4
Contracting out 5
Notes and examples not part of code 5

Part 2 — Connection of water services to land

Information about connections 6
Minimum performance standards for standard supply connections 6

Part 3 — Billing for water services

Bills other than for quantities supplied or discharged 8
Bills for quantities supplied or discharged 8
Sending bills 9
Information on bills 10
Estimates: licensee’s obligations 13
Information on bills if charge per kL varies depending on volume supplied 13
Requested meter readings, revised bills: licensee’s obligations 14
Leaks 15
Undercharging in bills 15
Overcharging in bills 17
Notice of alterations to charges 18
Review of bills 18
Review procedure 18

Part 4 — Payment for water services

Term used: consumer organisation 20
When payment due 20
Payment methods 20
Consent for direct debits 20
Payment in advance 21
Free redirection in case of absence or illness 21
Payment assistance 21

The Code organises customer‑service obligations around a set of technical and administrative concepts that determine when duties arise and how they must be discharged. The concepts are defined or used in the Code in a way that drives operational decisions by licensees.

Payment plan, payment scheme, and fee‑free arrangements: Clause 4 defines a payment plan as an instalment arrangement that keeps supply while arrears are paid; for residential customers the payment plan must be interest‑free and fee‑free. Clause 4(2) specifies that fee‑free means the plan carries no charges not otherwise payable. Clause 34 defines payment scheme as a payment plan or other arrangement under clauses 29, 30 or 33 and allows other assistance in addition.

Customer categories and standing: Clause 3 defines residential customer and business customer. Clause 5(1) limits the Code to licensees providing potable water or treatable water and sewerage services. Clause 6 allows contracting out for business customers, permitting commercial negotiation to displace the Code’s requirements where the customer is not a residential customer.

Bills, fixed charges and quantity charges: Clause 10 distinguishes fixed charges, which must be billed at least annually, from quantity charges, which must be billed at least once every 4 months (clause 11). Clause 11 requires bills for usage to be based on meter readings where possible, with rules for reasonable estimates when readings are not available, and a minimum annual meter‑based bill. Clause 13 mandates substantial bill content, including meter readings, billing period, comparisons to previous periods, concessions, contact numbers, and advice about reviews.

Estimates and meter testing: Clauses 14 and 16 require licensees to provide, on request, the basis and reason for an estimate and to adjust subsequent bills when an accurate reading shows an estimate was unreasonable. Clause 16 requires licensees to provide requested meter readings or revised bills unless the meter is inoperable or a fee has not been paid.

Undercharging and overcharging: Clause 18 limits the period from which undercharged amounts can be recovered to the 12 months ending on the day the licensee informs the customer. Clause 18 also prohibits interest or late fees on undercharged amounts, and requires repayment plans with set maximum durations, unless the customer engaged in fraud. Clause 19 prescribes strict timeframes for crediting or refunding overcharged amounts and for notifying customers.

Financial hardship and assistance regimes: Clauses 32 to 34 create a formal financial hardship policy requirement that must be written, Authority‑approved, publicly available, and developed in consultation with consumer organisations. Clause 33 imposes obligations to advise and offer interest‑free fee‑free payment plans or other arrangements for residential customers assessed as experiencing financial hardship, and to consider reductions and referrals to independent financial counselling.

Restriction events, minimum flow and preservation: The Code defines water supply restriction to include reduction or cutting off under section 95 of the Act (clause 37). It sets constraints on commencing a restriction, including prior reminder notices and restriction notices, a 7 day advance minimum before restriction starts (clause 39), and prohibits starting restrictions for amounts under $200 or where certain processes are underway (clause 40). Clause 42 sets a firm technical floor, prohibiting reductions below 2.3 litres per minute. Part 9 creates a preserved supply register for life support and other assessed special needs, and forbids reductions to recorded supply addresses (clauses 54-55).

Operational service standards and accountability metrics: The Code requires 90 percent compliance rates for certain service timeframes: standard supply connection completions within 10 business days (clause 9(4)), restoration timeframes for the Water Corporation inside and outside the metropolitan region (clause 44(4)), and a 90 percent target for other licensees’ restoration performance (clause 44(6)). These targets operate as measurable performance expectations.

Procedural rights: The Code embeds procedural rights for customers including statutory review of bills (clauses 21 and 22), complaints procedures based on AS 10002:2022 and Authority guidelines (clause 49(2)-(3)), access to the water services ombudsman under section 65 (clauses 13(5)(d), 22(3), 49(4) and 50), and time limits for licensee responses to reviews and complaints (clauses 21(2) and 49(3)).

Information‑provision and accessibility: The Code contains extensive information and accessibility duties, requiring licensees to publish fees, payment methods, concessions, rights relating to meter access and disconnection, water quality, planned and unplanned interruptions, and to provide interpreter and hearing/speech‑impaired services at no charge (clauses 51 and 52). Clause 52(4) requires a website link to the current Code.

Together these concepts structure predictable operational choices: how frequently meters must be read and bills issued, when and how customers may be offered relief, when supply may be restricted, the content of customer communications, and how emergency and fault events should be handled.

Licensees and customers are the primary actors addressed. Clause 5(1) states the Code applies to each licensee that provides a water supply service for potable or treatable water and to each licensee that provides a sewerage service. The Code therefore targets licensed water corporations and other entities holding licences under the Water Services Act 2012, subject to the Act and other written laws (clause 5(1) note).

Customers are split into residential customers and business customers, with different entitlements and negotiability. Clause 3 defines a residential customer as one who uses the place solely or primarily as a dwelling. Clause 6 permits contracting out for business customers, so business customers can be subject to bespoke terms that vary or displace the Code’s requirements. Paragraphs 6(2)-(3) preserve pre‑existing agreements for certain licence types in effect on 18 November 2013 where the licence is one to which Schedule 1 clause 10(1) of the Act applies.

Tenants and occupiers: Clause 40(1)(h) protects tenants by preventing the licensee from using nonpayment by a customer as a ground for restriction when the supply is to a place occupied by a tenant and the customer is liable, subject to clause 6(1) agreements not varying that protection for dwellings. Clause 5(1) note also flags potential inconsistencies with local government regulation where the licensee is a local government.

Customers with special medical needs: Part 9 creates obligations where a licensee becomes aware that a resident requires water for dialysis or life support equipment, or assesses that a resident requires water for another special need (clause 54(1)). Those persons may be recorded on a preserved supply register (clause 54(2)). Once recorded, the licensee must provide specific written advice within 5 business days and must not reduce flow to the recorded supply address under section 95(1)(b) (clauses 54(3) and 55). Clause 56 sets preferential notice channels for planned interruptions for preserved supply addresses.

Customers experiencing financial difficulty: Residential customers assessed as experiencing financial hardship under a licensee’s financial hardship policy receive specific protections, including an entitlement to interest‑free fee‑free payment plans (clauses 4, 32 and 33) and protection from interest or late fees in defined circumstances (clause 35). Clause 36 prevents debt recovery actions in many circumstances, including while the licensee is assessing hardship, while a customer is complying with a payment plan, or while a relevant complaint is being assessed or is unresolved.

Regulatory and oversight bodies: The Code references the Authority for approval of financial hardship policies (clause 32(2)), and the water services ombudsman under section 65 for complaint resolution and oversight (clauses 13(5)(d), 19(8)(b)(ii), 22(3), 49(4) and 50). The Code’s requirements must be read against the Water Services Act and other laws, so the Act and the Authority remain the primary enforcement and licensing framework.

Vulnerable groups and accessibility needs: The Code explicitly requires interpreter services and services for hearing and speech impaired customers at no charge, a large‑print option for public documents on request, and the use of the National Interpreter Symbol with interpreter contact details on residential bills (clause 13(5)(f)-(g), and clause 51). Licensees must make certain documents publicly available and publish website information to ensure wide access (clauses 8(3), 17(3), 22(4), 32(6), 34(5), 49(5) and 52).

Who pays and who decides: Operationally, licensees pay the compliance costs of implementing the Code and must decide policy details such as the form of financial hardship policies, billing systems, and customer communications. Customers bear the behavioural incentives,timely payment or engagement with assistance programs,while the Authority and the water services ombudsman decide whether licensees’ policies and complaint outcomes comply with legislative and Code standards.

This section summarises concrete, enforceable duties placed on licensees and the rights created or preserved for customers, cross‑referencing the Code’s clauses.

Duties on licensees

Information and publication duties: Licensees must prepare written information about connections and make it publicly available (clause 8(1)-(3)). Clause 52 requires public availability on the website of fees, payment options, concessions, access powers, disconnection rules, water quality, and interruption information. Clause 52(4) requires a website link to the current version of the Code.
Billing and metering: Issue bills for fixed charges at least once every 12 months (clause 10(2)). Issue bills for quantity charges at least once every 4 months, with bills based on meter readings where practicable and an annual meter reading minimum (clause 11). Mail or email options must be offered (clause 12), and detailed content is mandatory, including meter readings, billing periods and usage comparisons (clause 13).
Estimates and adjustments: If bills are based on estimates, licensees must explain the basis of the estimate on request and adjust subsequent bills to account for unreasonable estimates when an accurate meter reading is later obtained (clause 14).
Meter reading, fees and tests: Provide requested meter readings and bills on customer request, unless the meter is inoperable or a fee remains unpaid (clause 16). The website must explain meter testing options and applicable fees or reimbursements per clause 52(2)(d).
Leaks, bursts and environmental response: Have publicly available policy on discounts for leak‑related high usage (clause 17). Maintain policies, practices and procedures for dealing with bursts, leaks, blockages and wastewater spills, including prompt attendance and remediation (clause 47).
Payment and hardship assistance: Allow specified payment methods including Centrepay for residential customers who can use it (clause 25(1)(a)), and obtain express consent before direct debits (clause 26). Accept payment in advance on request (clause 27). Provide redirection of bills free where customers are absent or ill (clause 28). Offer additional time to pay and payment plans to residential customers and business customers who have notified payment difficulties (clause 29). Payment plans for residential customers must be interest‑free and fee‑free (clause 4(1)(b) and 4(2)), and licensees must consider capacity to pay and historic usage when formulating plans (clause 30(1)). Licensees must have written financial hardship policies approved by the Authority and publicly available (clause 32).
Restrictions, notices and restorations: Provide reminder notices before pursuing restriction action and a restriction notice not less than 7 days before proposed restriction start date (clauses 38 and 39(2)). Do not commence water supply restriction where the amount owing is under $200 or certain procedural protections apply, and do not start restrictions on Fridays, weekends, public holidays, total fire ban days, or after 3 pm (clauses 40 and 41). Do not reduce flow below 2.3 litres per minute (clause 42). Restore supply when payment is made or an arrangement entered, within specified timeframes and with defined compliance targets (clauses 43 and 44).
Complaints and reviews: Maintain a complaints procedure complying with AS 10002:2022 and Authority guidelines, acknowledge complaints within 10 business days and respond within 20 business days (clauses 49(1)-(3)). Maintain a written bill review procedure and review bills on request, informing the customer of outcomes within 20 business days (clauses 21 and 22).
Accessibility and information services: Provide interpreter services, large‑print documents, and services for hearing or speech impaired customers at no charge on request (clause 51). Maintain a 24‑hour information line for faults and emergencies at local call cost (clause 48).
Preserved supply register: Where a licensee becomes aware a resident requires water for life support or other special needs, record the person on a preserved supply register, provide specific written advice within 5 business days, and do not reduce supply to the recorded supply address (clauses 54-55).

Rights for customers

Right to billing frequency and content: Customers are entitled to receive bills at the minimum frequencies set by the Code, to receive detailed billing information and to be informed whether bills are meter‑based or estimated (clauses 10-13).
Right to request meter readings and revised bills: Customers may request off‑cycle meter readings and revised bills if they dispute an estimate, unless the meter is inoperable or fees are unpaid (clause 16).
Right to payment assistance and hardship relief: Residential customers assessed as experiencing financial hardship are entitled to be offered interest‑free and fee‑free payment plans or other arrangements, to have payment plans formulated taking into account capacity to pay and usage, and to be offered reductions in amounts owed or other assistance as outlined in clause 33.
Protection against certain enforcement actions: Customers complying with payment plans or arrangements, or under assessment for financial hardship, or with unresolved complaints that relate directly to the debt, are protected from debt collection and commencement of restriction action in many circumstances (clauses 36 and 40).
Procedural rights on restrictions: Customers must receive a reminder and a restriction notice explaining reasons, earliest start date, complaint avenues including Freecall number for the water services ombudsman, and restoration procedures and costs before restriction may commence (clauses 38 and 39).
Special needs protections: Persons recorded on the preserved supply register receive priority communications and are protected from reductions in flow to their supply address (clauses 54-56).

Decision points and delegated discretion

Licensees decide the form and operation of payment plans and financial hardship policies but must comply with mandatory content and approval procedures, including Authority approval for financial hardship policies and consultation with consumer organisations when developing or materially amending those policies (clauses 30 and 32).
Licensees have discretion to determine whether a business customer is offered a payment plan that is interest‑free or fee‑free (clause 30(7)), and they may refuse additional payment plans in limited cases where prior cancellations indicate non‑compliance unless satisfied the customer will comply (clause 30(2)).

These duties and rights create a set of operational constraints and obligations that licensees must integrate into billing, customer service, hardship, and outage management systems, while reserving negotiated flexibility for business customers and preserving the Authority’s role in approving hardship policies.

The Code primarily establishes procedural and performance obligations rather than prescribing new criminal offences or monetary fines within its text. Enforcement and penalty mechanisms are therefore implicit through integration with the Water Services Act 2012, the Authority’s licensing powers and approval functions, compliance targets embedded in the Code, and complaint and ombudsman routes referenced in the Code.

Direct enforcement levers in the Code

Approval powers and oversight: The Code requires licence holders to obtain the Authority’s approval for their financial hardship policies (clause 32(2)), and to comply with Authority guidelines unless otherwise approved (clause 32(3)). That approval requirement places the Authority in an oversight role for an important element of customer protection.
Performance metrics with compliance expectations: The Code prescribes measurable compliance targets such as a 90 percent compliance rate for completion of standard supply connections in a 12‑month period (clause 9(4)), and 90 percent compliance rates for restoration timeframes for the Water Corporation and other licensees (clauses 44(4), (6)). While the Code does not itself specify sanctions for failing these metrics, the presence of targets provides a basis for monitoring and potential regulatory action under the Act.
Complaints and ombudsman: The Code embeds the water services ombudsman as a dispute resolution route, referencing the ombudsman and a Freecall contact number on bills and in complaint outcomes (clauses 13(5)(d), 19(8)(b)(ii), 22(3), 49(4) and 50). The ombudsman scheme under section 65 of the Act is the mechanism for independent review of complaints; outcomes from the ombudsman may influence regulatory enforcement action or license conditions.
Procedural prohibitions with legal references: The Code incorporates statutory constraints tied to sections of the Act, for example the rules around cutting off or reducing supply under section 95 of the Act are referenced throughout Part 5 and Part 9 (clauses 37 and note). The Act contains the primary statutory enforcement powers relating to licences and powers of entry (clause 52(1)(e) references section 129).

What the Code does not do explicitly

No new monetary penalties in the Code text: The Code itself does not establish specific fines, penalties or criminal sanctions. It focuses on minimum standards, notification, timeframes, procedural protections, and performance‑rate expectations.
Enforcement mechanisms lie in the Act and the regulatory framework: Because the Code is a subordinate instrument under the Water Services Act 2012, sanctions for non‑compliance with the Code are likely to be pursued through the licensing and enforcement provisions of the Act. The Code repeatedly references the Act, including section 65 (water services ombudsman), section 95 (disconnection powers), section 129 (entry powers) and section 222(2) (regulations), indicating enforcement sits within the broader legislative framework.

Practical enforcement channels for customers and regulators

Customer complaints escalate to licensee complaint procedures and, if unresolved, the water services ombudsman (clauses 49 and 50). Clause 49(4) and clause 50 explicitly inform customers of the ombudsman route and require licensees to provide Freecall contact details.
The Authority’s approval and guideline functions create a regulatory checkpoint for financial hardship policies (clause 32). The Authority can require amendments and review policies (clause 32(7)), and may take licensing action if a licensee fails to maintain required policies or meet licensing conditions.
Monitoring of compliance targets: Clauses that mandate compliance rates and time targets create measurable indicators that the Authority or other oversight bodies can monitor. Persistent failure to meet targets could provide grounds for regulatory compliance action under the Act, although the Code does not itself create the enforcement steps.

In sum, enforcement of the Code will be exercised through the existing regulatory architecture established by the Water Services Act 2012, the ombudsman scheme under section 65, and the Authority’s approvals and licence management powers. The Code embeds measurable performance obligations and procedural protections that regulators and the ombudsman can use as benchmarks when assessing licensee conduct.

The Code is designed to function as a subordinate instrument under the Water Services Act 2012 and explicitly anchors its operation to that Act and to other written laws and regulations. Clause 5(1) provides that the Code applies to licensees subject to the Act, and a note to clause 5(1) states that provisions of the Code are of no effect to the extent inconsistent with the Act or another written law. The Code cross‑references numerous statutory provisions and external instruments, which shapes its operation and identifies potential points of legal interaction.

Direct statutory references and interaction

Water Services Act 2012: The Code frequently cites sections of the Act, for example section 65 (water services ombudsman), section 73 (entitlements to services) and section 95 (powers to interrupt, suspend or restrict supply). Those provisions frame the Code’s rules on restricting supply, ombudsman access and the licencee’s statutory functions. The Code must be applied subject to the Act and any inconsistency will render the Code provision of no effect in that respect (clause 5(1) note).
Water Services Regulations 2013 and other regulations: Clause 11(4) contemplates that billing estimates must be in accordance with regulations mentioned in section 222(2)(h) of the Act, if any. Clause 11(7) cross‑references the Water Services Regulations 2013 regulation 24(1) and (3) in the context of meter reading access and compliance notices. Clause 52(2)(d) references meter testing and the fees and reimbursement rules available under regulations mentioned in section 79(3)(b) and (c). Clause 15 explicitly interacts with the Water Services (Water Corporations Charges) Regulations 2014 to define consumption years for volumetric tariff structures.
Local Government Act 1995: Clause 5(1) note gives an example that a provision of the Code is of no effect to the extent it is inconsistent with the Local Government Act 1995, or regulations or local laws under that Act, in relation to a licensee that is a local government. That signals that where local government licensing and local laws impose different billing, connection, or access arrangements, the Code yields to those laws.
Planning and Development Act 2005: Clause 44(1) defines metropolitan region by reference to the Planning and Development Act 2005 Schedule 3, which directly affects restoration timeframe obligations for the Water Corporation.

Standards and guidelines

Australian Standard and Authority guidelines: Clause 49(2) requires that complaints procedures be developed using AS 10002:2022 as minimum standard and to align with the Authority’s guidelines if any. Clause 32 requires financial hardship policies to comply with Authority guidelines unless the Authority approves otherwise. These cross‑references place technical standards and regulatory guidance into the compliance mix.

Administrative processes and external schemes

Water services ombudsman scheme: The Code repeatedly directs customers to the ombudsman scheme under section 65. Clause 22(3) and clause 49(4) outline that customers may apply to the ombudsman and that the licensee’s internal review and complaints procedures must make that avenue explicit. The ombudsman scheme is a statutory dispute resolution mechanism outside the Code but referred to throughout.
Payment systems and Commonwealth mechanisms: Clause 25(1)(a) requires licensees to allow Centrepay for residential customers where applicable. Centrepay is a Commonwealth deduction facility; the Code therefore interacts operationally with Commonwealth social security payment mechanisms when facilitating certain payment options.

Limits and precedence

Contracting out for business customers: Clause 6(1) allows licensees and business customers to vary or displace the Code by agreement. This creates a direct contractual interaction where commercial agreements between licensee and business customer can displace Code obligations.
Pre‑existing agreements for specified licences: Clause 6(2)-(3) preserves the primacy of agreements in effect on 18 November 2013 for certain licence types. That clause indicates that historical contractual arrangements can remain in force to the extent they are inconsistent with the Code, in line with the Act’s licensing regime.

Implications for compliance and legal risk

The Code is not standalone; it must be read and applied in the context of the Act, relevant regulations, and other applicable written laws. Where regulations specify meter testing procedures, fees, or consumption year definitions, those rules determine operational detail referenced by the Code (clauses 11(4), 15(1) and 52(2)(d)). Where local government obligations apply, the Code yields to those local laws (clause 5(1) note).
The Authority’s guidelines and AS 10002:2022 determine the technical minimum standards for complaints and hardship policies, so compliance requires aligning internal policies to those external documents (clauses 49(2) and 32(3)).
Enforcement and remedies likely flow through the Act and established statutory mechanisms such as the ombudsman scheme, with the Code providing specific, measurable standards that regulators and dispute‑resolution bodies can reference.

Overall, the Code creates detailed operational duties that sit within a broader statutory and regulatory architecture. Licensees must ensure alignment of their policies not only with the Code but with underlying Act provisions, subordinate regulations, relevant Australian Standards and Authority guidelines.

The Code’s compilation table and internal amendment notations provide the authoritative short history of its enactment and immediate amendments. The Code itself was made as the Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2024, published as SL 2024/77 on 20 May 2024, and the substantive operative provisions other than Part 1 clauses 1 and 2 came into effect on 1 July 2024, by clause 2 and the compilation table.

Subsequent amendment instrument: The Compilation table records a further instrument, the Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) Amendment Code 2024, SL 2024/106, published 25 June 2024, with clauses 1 and 2 commencing 25 June 2024 and the remainder commencing 1 July 2024. The printed Code includes amendment annotations such as "[Clause 3 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 4.]" and similar footnotes for clauses 4, 6, 12, 30, 34, 35, 36, 40, and 49, indicating targeted amendments effected by SL 2024/106. These marginal notes identify specific provisions altered by the Amendment Code.

Express repeal: Clause 57 expressly repeals the Water Services Code of Conduct (Customer Service Standards) 2018. The compilation table confirms the 2018 Code’s repeal by the new 2024 instrument.

Commencement sequencing: Clause 2 sets commencement details: Part 1 (except clauses 3-7) on the WA legislation website publication date, and the rest on 1 July 2024. The compilation table corroborates these dates and notes SL 2024/106’s commencements. This sequencing means preparatory provisions and definitions were made available early, while operational standards and compliance obligations became live on 1 July 2024.

Amendment annotations across clauses: The Code shows specific clause amendments annotated in square brackets after the defined term entries (for example: "[Clause 4 amended: SL 2024/106 cl. 5.]" and others). These amendments are part of the published consolidated text and reflect the immediate post‑enactment changes made by the Amendment Code SL 2024/106.

What is not present in the amendment history: The Code’s compilation notes list only the 2024 instruments; no prior amendment instruments are cited in the provided compilation table within the text. The Code itself supersedes the 2018 version and is the operative instrument from the stated commencement dates.

Practical consequence of amendment history for licensees and stakeholders

Licensees should work from the consolidated 2024 text incorporating SL 2024/106 changes, observe the 1 July 2024 operative date for substantive obligations, and ensure internal policies and systems were updated by that date.
Because financial hardship policies must be submitted and be in effect within 6 months of grant of licence (clause 32(5)), newly‑licensed entities need to synchronise licensing timelines with the Code’s policy approval requirements.
The repeal of the 2018 Code in clause 57 means all transitional or legacy practices that relied on the 2018 instrument must be updated to the 2024 requirements, accounting for the contracting out exceptions for business customers in clause 6.

In short, the Code was enacted in 2024 with immediate consolidation amendments by SL 2024/106, repeals the 2018 Code, and requires licensees to have their operational practices aligned with the consolidated 2024 instrument by its 1 July 2024 commencement for substantive obligations.

The text of the Code does not list or cite any judicial decisions, nor does it include a schedule of litigation outcomes. The instrument is regulatory, and the dispute resolution and enforcement pathways the Code contemplates are administrative and statutory rather than judicial in the first instance.

Dispute and review pathways identified by the Code

Internal review and complaints: Clause 22 requires licensees to maintain an internal review procedure and clause 49 requires a complaints procedure that complies with AS 10002:2022 and Authority guidelines. These procedures impose timeframes for acknowledgements and responses, creating administrative processes that are the first step for disputes.
Ombudsman escalation: The Code repeatedly directs customers to the water services ombudsman under section 65 as the independent escalation route (clauses 13(5)(d), 19(8)(b)(ii), 22(3), 49(4) and 50). The ombudsman scheme is the likely forum for customer complaints that are not resolved by the licensee. The Code requires licensees to provide Freecall contact details for the ombudsman on bills and in complaint outcomes, thereby institutionalising that avenue.
Appeal or review under regulations: Clause 22(3) specifies that customers may apply to the water services ombudsman or make an appeal or apply for a review of a decision if regulation‑based appeal routes are available under regulations mentioned in section 222(2)(k) of the Act. Therefore some matters may be subject to statutory appeal channels depending on the Act and its subordinate regulations.

Absence of case names and judicial treatment within the Code

The Code contains no references to cases or judicial interpretations. Any litigation history relevant to the interaction of these standards with the Act, or to enforcement actions, would be found in separate case law or administrative decisions external to the Code text.

Practical implications for practitioners, compliance officers and litigators

If a customer exhausts internal complaints and the ombudsman, further legal remedies may be available under the Act or general law, but the Code itself is silent about court proceedings. Lawyers should look to the Water Services Act 2012, the ombudsman scheme determinations, and any judicial decisions that interpret the Act or the Code when advising clients.
The Code’s clear timeframes, document retention expectations and procedural prescriptions mean administrative records will be consequential in any later litigation. Practitioners should advise clients that non‑compliance with the Code’s formal procedures (for example, failing to issue required notices, to follow review timeframes, or to publish required information) will create evidentiary pathways for complaints and possible regulatory actions that can inform litigation strategy.
For jurisdictional and substantive remedies, the Act and regulations mentioned throughout the Code (such as the Water Services Regulations 2013 and the Water Services (Water Corporations Charges) Regulations 2014) must be considered, together with ombudsman determinations where available.

Because the Code provides administrative remedies and routes for complaint and review, any litigation history relevant to its interpretation and enforcement is external to the instrument itself and must be researched in the case law and administrative decision records of the ombudsman and courts.

This Code contains numerous specific operational rules and limitations that may produce unintended consequences or compliance traps if they are overlooked. The following items are concrete, clause‑based points that often cause disputes or operational friction.

Contracting out for business customers is permitted but not absolute: Clause 6(1) allows licensees and business customers to enter agreements that vary or displace the Code in relation to those parties. Practitioners must ensure that contractual variations are explicit and documented. Clause 6(2)-(3) preserves certain older agreements for specific licence types, so history matters. Importantly, contracting out does not apply to residential customers, who retain statutory protections such as fee‑free interest‑free payment plans and preserved supply rights.

Payment plan technicalities for residential customers: Clause 4 defines payment plans and requires residential payment plans to be interest‑free and fee‑free. Clause 4(2) clarifies fee‑free means no charges associated with establishing or operating the plan that would not otherwise be payable. That formulation can create disputes about what constitutes "charges that would not otherwise be payable," for example administrative costs that some licensees might seek to pass on; those must be excluded for residential payment plans. Clause 30(6) requires licensees to offer assistance to manage ongoing service provision during a residential payment plan, such as estimating usage and rolling new bills into the plan. Licensees must produce written plan terms within 5 business days of acceptance unless already provided in the prior 12 months (clause 30(4)-(5).

Undercharging recovery limit and exceptions: Clause 18(2) prohibits recovering undercharged amounts older than the 12 months up to the day the customer is informed. This is favourable to customers. However clause 18(6) carves out fraud or illegal conduct of the customer as an exception. Practitioners should note the interaction between the timing of notice and the recoverable period, and ensure undercharge notifications are issued promptly to preserve recovery rights. The Code further forbids interest on undercharged amounts and requires repayment plan options (clause 18(4)-(5)), but permits interest or fees if the customer fails to pay after proper process and the customer is not in hardship (clause 18(7)-(8)).

Overcharging remediation timeframes are tight: Clause 19 requires the licensee, within 15 business days after becoming aware of an overcharge, either to credit the account or send an overcharging notice. Subsequent customer instructions must be actioned within 15 business days of receipt, or otherwise credited by the end of the next 15 business days following 10 business days for instructions. These sequencing and tight deadlines create operational pressure; failure to comply may be actionable through complaint channels.

Restrictions require multiple procedural conditions and have dollar and temporal floors: A licensee may not start a water supply restriction without a prior reminder notice, a restriction notice not less than 7 days before restriction, and the debt remaining unpaid (clause 39). Clause 40(1)(a) prohibits starting a restriction for amounts under $200. Clause 41 bans starting restrictions on Fridays, weekends, public holidays, the day before a public holiday, on total fire ban days in the area, and after 3 pm. Clause 42 establishes a minimum flow of 2.3 litres per minute. These combined constraints mean restriction events require precision in notice timing, dollar thresholds and calendar checks; administrative systems must coordinate billing, reminders and operational crews to avoid unlawful restrictions.

Preserved supply register and life support protections have narrow triggers: Clause 54 requires the licensee to add persons to the preserved supply register when notice is received that a resident requires water for dialysis or life support equipment, or when the licensee assesses another special need. The Code does not detail evidentiary standards for the assessment; licensees must develop transparent and consultative criteria because recording a supply address triggers a complete prohibition on reductions under clause 55 and special notice procedures under clause 56. Failure to respect preserved supply entries can cause immediate harm and serious complaints.

Financial hardship policy must be Authority‑approved and developed with consumer organisations: Clause 32 requires written financial hardship policies to be approved by the Authority and developed in consultation with relevant consumer organisations for initial policies and material amendments. That introduces timeline risk for licensees who rely on internal policy‑making, because a policy without Authority approval "does not have effect" until approved (clause 32(2)). New licence holders must ensure their policy is in effect within 6 months of grant of licence (clause 32(5)). Non‑approval leaves licensees vulnerable to complaints and potential regulatory action.

Billing and meter reading frequency obligations: Quantity bills must be issued at least every 4 months (clause 11(2)), and at least once per 12 months a bill for usage must be based on a meter reading (clause 11(6)). Licencees must also comply with rule exceptions when customers fail to allow meter access and after issuing compliance notices under the Water Services Regulations 2013 (clause 11(7)). Billing systems need to enforce these minimums and track access notices.

Free services and accessibility obligations are mandatory: Clause 51 requires interpreter services, large‑print versions of public documents and services for hearing and speech impaired customers at no charge. Clause 13 requires residential bills to include interpreter information with the National Interpreter Symbol. Failure to provide these free services on request will breach the Code and likely lead to customer complaints and ombudsman referrals.

Information duties are extensive and website linkage is mandatory: Clause 52(4) requires a link on licensee websites to the current Code on the WA legislation website. Clause 52 sets detailed website obligations including content about fees, payment options, concessions, and meter testing arrangements. Omitting required material or failing to keep web content current is a compliance risk.

Debt collection moratoriums are specific and condition‑based: Clause 36 bars debt recovery actions in certain circumstances, such as while a customer complies with a payment plan, while the licensee assesses hardship, or while a complaint about the charge remains unresolved. The moratorium is conditional on the status of plans and complaints, so licensees must implement internal flags to prevent inadvertent debt recovery steps.

Restoration timeframes differ by geographic classification and licensee type: Clause 44 sets different restoration deadlines for the Water Corporation in metropolitan and non‑metropolitan regions and for other licensees. The definition of metropolitan region is by reference to the Planning and Development Act 2005 Schedule 3 (clause 44(1)), so accurate geographic classification is key.

These "gotchas" show that compliance is operational as much as legal. Licensees should align billing, customer information, hardship, restriction and operational outage systems to the Code’s precise procedural and timing rules and retain documentation to evidence compliance.

Compliance with the Code requires coordinated changes across policy, customer communications, billing systems, operational crews, and governance. The following practical checklist maps Code requirements to concrete compliance steps, with clause references for each task.

Governance and policy

Adopt and approve a financial hardship policy: Draft a written financial hardship policy that complies with the Authority's guidelines where applicable, consult with relevant consumer organisations during development or material amendment, and submit it for Authority approval. Ensure the policy is publicly available and in effect within the licence timetable as required by clause 32(1)-(6) and (8).
Draft and publish complaints and review procedures: Prepare a written complaints procedure using AS 10002:2022 minimum standards and Authority guidelines, and a written review procedure for bills that includes meter testing and dispute resolution pathways. Make both publicly available on the licensee’s website. See clauses 22 and 49.
Prepare written leak and emergency policies: Establish and publish a leak discount policy for unusually high usage likely resulting from customer system leaks, and operational policies for bursts, leaks, blockages and spills that address prompt attendance, remediation, environmental and property impacts, and cleaning/disinfection of wastewater spills (clauses 17 and 47).

Systems and records

Update billing systems to meet content and timing requirements: Ensure the billing engine can issue fixed charge bills at least annually and usage bills at least once every 4 months, produce meter‑based bills, flag estimates and provide the basis of estimates on request, include all required items on bills (clause 10, 11, 13, 14, 15), and include Freecall numbers for the ombudsman and 24‑hour information line (clause 13(5)(d) and (e)).
Implement meter reading and estimation protocols: Ensure your meter reading program satisfies clause 11’s requirement for at least one meter‑based bill per 12 months and has clear rules for reasonable estimates where readings are not possible. Include processes to adjust subsequent bills when an accurate meter reading later shows an estimate was unreasonable (clause 14).
Configure payment and direct debit consent workflows: Offer the required payment methods including Centrepay for residential customers that can use it, document fees for payment methods and obtain express consent for direct debits prior to first use (clause 25 and 26). Consent may be oral or written (clause 26(2)), so capture and retain records accordingly.
Build hardship and payment plan management features: Implement systems to record payment plans, to generate written plan terms within 5 business days of acceptance, to support interest‑free fee‑free plans for residential customers, to reassess and vary plans when customers request review, and to prevent repeated re‑offering of plans after two cancellations unless satisfaction of likely compliance is documented (clauses 4, 30 and 31).

Customer communications and accessibility

Publish required website content and maintain a link to the Code: Populate the website with fees and charges, payment method options and associated fees, concessions, meter access obligations, disconnection powers, water quality and interruption information, and a link to the current WA legislation website copy of the Code (clause 52(1)-(4)).
Provide interpreter and accessibility services at no charge: Contract interpreter services, establish processes for hearing or speech impaired account enquiries, and ensure large‑print versions of publicly available documents are available on request (clause 51).
Ensure bill delivery options, redirection and free mailing in special cases: Offer bills by post and email, inform customers of any delivery charges, and do not charge for sending bills where the customer has advised of family violence, is receiving a concession, is assessed in hardship, or is on the preserved supply register (clause 12).

Operational implementation

Create reminder and restriction notice workflows: Implement a triage system that issues reminder notices when a water service charge is unpaid, issues restriction notices at least 7 days before proposed restriction, and ensures restrictions are not started in prohibited circumstances including when amounts are under $200 or when the customer is in specified procedural protections (clauses 38, 39 and 40).
Enforce timing and calendar rules for restrictions: Build scheduling rules that prevent commencement of restrictions on Fridays, weekends, public holidays, the day before a public holiday, total fire ban days in the area, or after 3 pm (clause 41). Integrate holiday and fire ban calendars into workflow systems.
Maintain preserved supply register processes: Establish intake, verification and recording procedures to populate the preserved supply register within 5 business days of notice or assessment; provide the written advice required by clause 54(3); and put operational safeguards in place to prevent any reduction in flow to recorded supply addresses (clauses 54-55). Define acceptance criteria for recording addresses and keep preferred contact details per clause 54(4).
Restore supply within Code timelines: Create prioritised restoration response flows and staff scheduling to meet the restoration timelines set for the Water Corporation and for other licensees, and monitor compliance rates to meet the 90 percent targets where applicable (clause 44).

Compliance monitoring and reporting

Track compliance metrics and audit readiness: Monitor and report on connection completion compliance rates, restoration timeframes and 90 percent targets, bill issuance frequencies, meter reading frequencies, complaints acknowledgement and resolution timeframes, and response times for reviews (clauses 9, 11, 21, 22, 44 and 49). Keep documentation for each compliance item to evidence regulatory audits or ombudsman investigations.
Flag moratoria and collection holds: Implement system flags that automatically pause debt collection or restriction actions when a customer is assessed for financial hardship, is complying with a payment plan, or has a complaint under review that relates to the debt (clauses 36 and 40).

Training, governance and escalation

Train frontline staff in Code obligations: Provide staff training on billing content requirements, meter reading and estimation policies, payment assistance processes, hardship policy application, complaint handling that follows AS 10002:2022, and the preserved supply register procedures. Ensure staff understand the restrictions timeframe rules and the specific prohibitions against reducing flow below 2.3 litres per minute (clauses 13, 16, 30, 49, 54 and 42).
Establish escalation paths for customer disputes: Define clear escalation steps within the licensee from frontline resolution to internal review to ombudsman referral, and ensure customers are informed of their rights to the ombudsman and statutory appeal routes as required by clauses 22(3), 49(4) and 50.
Document Authority interactions: Keep records of submissions to and approvals from the Authority, particularly for financial hardship policies. Plan for the Authority’s potential directions to revise policies (clause 32(7)).

Risk management and testing

Conduct readiness testing before live dates: Run end‑to‑end tests that simulate billing cycles, estimate handling and true meter reads, overcharge and undercharge events with associated notifications, payment plan setup and cancellations, and restriction notice issuance and prevention under the $200 threshold and timing rules.
Review contractual terms with business customers: For existing and new business customers, document explicit contractual variations to the Code where permitted by clause 6(1), and maintain records for audits and dispute resolution.

By mapping each Code obligation to specific operational tasks, documented procedures, and system‑driven workflows, licensees can convert legal requirements into auditable compliance practice. For regulated entities, integration with licensing, regulatory reporting and the ombudsman complaint logs will be necessary to manage legal risk and evidence compliance in the event of complaints or regulatory scrutiny.

Deep Dive

What it does

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