Understanding your water account
Water consumption and water and sewer access charges are billed separately from your rate notice and water readings are undertaken four times per year.
Property owners are billed quarterly for usage and access charges with accounts issued in October, January, April and July during the financial year.
The water consumption notices include detailed access and usage information and a consumption graph showing usage comparisons to the same period as last year, shown in three month blocks.
Payment
Council accepts a range of methods for payment of water consumption notices.
It is important to note that if you are paying your water consumption account via B-Pay that the water payment reference is located in the top right hand corner of the notice and is different to your rates account B-Pay reference number.
A one step Tariff is used for water billing. The 2025/26 water usage charges based on a flat rate are:
Residential
All residential water consumption is charged at $2.18 per KL
Commercial
All commercial water consumption is charged at $2.18/KL
The raise to minimum is in line with the Best Practice Guidelines, and ensures residential properties are not paying less in sewer charges then a commercial property (ie – In the 2025/2026 Financial year, the 20mm access charge for a commercial property is $453 per year, whereas residential access charges in Parkes for the year are $806, the raise to minimum is the difference between these access charges when the sewer discharge charges raised do not make up the difference).
Raise to minimum is for commercial properties, the difference between the usage and access charges is to bring the charge to the minimum amount of $806 for the financial year, in line with councils Operational Budget. This is done each quarter four.
Non-Potable / Raw Water
All non-potable/raw water consumption is charged at $1.66/KL