How much is 1,000 litres of water

We have a tiered pricing system to encourage the careful use of water. It varies depending on your town's class and location. 

The more water you use, the higher the price per kilolitre. Water use is measured and billed in kilolitres (kL).

Water use charge = Water use in kL for the period x current tier pricing

Water use charges vary depending on where you live. Charges also work differently for properties that share a water meter, such as a unit complex.

Water use pricing tiers

Your account starts in tier 1 (the lowest tier) at the beginning of your bill year. If you have jumped to tier 2 or 3 within your bill year, you will revert to tier 1 when your new bill year starts. 

Check the front of your bill under 'Water use pricing' to see your current tier and when your bill year ends.

If you’ve recently moved into a property, your agent will need to request a special meter read. This is so you can get part of the two lowest tiers' pricing until your bill year starts again, or until you move into the highest tier.

How much is 1,000 litres of water

South regional residential water use pricing 2022 - 2023

  Usage (kL)/yearClass 1 $/kLClass 2 $/kLClass 3 $/kL Class 4 $/kL Class 5 $/kLTier 1: 0 - 150 kL$1.454$1.905$1.905$1.905$1.905Tier 2: 151 - 300 kL$1.936$2.539$2.539$2.539$2.539Tier 3: 301 - 550 kL$2.222$3.058$4.073$4.789$5.634Over 550 kL$2.595$3.900
$5.193$7.183$9.688

View south regional town classes.

North regional residential water use pricing 2022 - 2023

  Usage (kL)/yearClass 1 $/kLClass 2 $/kLClass 3 $/kL Class 4 $/kL Class 5 $/kLTier 1: 0 - 350 kL$1.454$1.905$1.905$1.905$1.905Tier 2: 351 - 500 kL$1.936$2.539$2.539$2.539$2.539Tier 3: 501 - 750 kL$2.222$3.058$4.073$4.789$5.634Over 750 kL$2.595$3.900
$5.193$7.183$9.688


View north regional town classes.

If you live in Denham, additional charges apply.

Please note: For the bill you receive in July or August, your water use charges will be priced at the previous financial year's tier prices. Water use tier prices are updated for each financial year. The financial year begins 1 July and ends 30 June each year.

How much does water cost the average household?  Probably about $30 per week, by using the following figures.

We used 28,000 litres (28kL) of water during the 94 days in November to February.  That works out at 298 litres per day.

The cost to us of that water is calculated at:

  • $ 87.41 Water usage State Government charges. ($3.12 per kL)
  • $ 18.99 Water usage Local Government/Supplier charges.($0.69 per kL)
  • $ 82.99 Water Network Service charge. ($0.88 per day)
  • $127.58 Sewerage Charges. ($1.36 per day)

The total charge is $316.97 for the quarter, or $23.60 per week.
That also works out at $11.32 for every 1,000 litres of water used. (adding all charges together).
That is 1.1 cents for each litre of clean drinking water, whether used for drinking or watering the garden, etc.

If we used double the water that we used last quarter, ie: about 600 litres per day, the bill would have been $423.37 for the quarter.

  • $174.82 Water usage State Government charges. ($3.12 per kL)
  • $ 37.98 Water usage Local Government/Supplier charges.($0.69 per kL)
  • $ 82.99 Water Network Service charge. ($0.88 per day)
  • $127.58 Sewerage Charges. ($1.36 per day)

That works out at $31.53 per week, or
Three quarters of a cent for each litre.


How much is 1,000 litres of water
How much is 1,000 litres of water

Sponsor ai10

 

Our local area averages about 440 litres per day, so the average bill would be about half way between the two examples.

From fixing pipes to upgrading ageing water meters and protecting our environment, there’s a lot that goes into delivering clean, safe drinking water and a reliable sewer service for our community.

What your bill pays for

For an average of $2.65 per day (based on an owner occupier using 150,000 litres per year), you get all your water for drinking, bathing, cleaning, washing, watering, and removal of wastewater (that which goes down the toilet, drains and sinks). Plus everything that makes your services possible, including: 

36%

Water supply services

Buying water from Melbourne Water, sampling it and maintaining it.

25%

Upgrades

Upgrades and building new water and sewer pipes, pumps and treatment plants

20%

Wastewater services

Remove, treat and dispose of wastewater.

19%

Operating costs

24/7 response and repairs, treat and supply recycled water and customer support.     

Usage Charges for 2022-23

It’s simple. This is how much you pay for what you use.

If your water usage in 2022-23 is similar to last year, your bills will remain stable. While some prices have come down and others have gone up slightly, overall you’re paying a similar amount for your services this year.

With stable bills, we’re still investing in the future to deliver major projects that extend the life and efficiency of the networks that keep your services running

Learn about our projects

Water usage

Water usage

Price per kilolitre (before Oct 2022)

Price per kilolitre (after Oct 2022)

Tier 1 (0-440 litres per day) 

$2.7165  

$2.6765 

Tier 2 (over 440 litres per day) 

$3.4660 

$3.4260 

Non-residential 

$3.4660 

$3.4260 

Sewage disposal

Sewage disposalPrice per kilolitreSewage disposal charge$0.9444

Recycled Water 

Recycled water usagePrice per kilolitreClass A recycled water usage charge$2.1513

A few simple changes can save bucketloads.

Here are some tips on how to save water so you’re not using and paying for more than you need.

How to save water

How much is a kilolitre?

1,000 litres.

In a real world terms, a kilolitre is the equivalent of:

25 5-minute showers

222 flushes of a dual-flush toilet

7 top loader washing cycles

14 front loader washing cycles

83 dishwasher cycles (newer models)

Our five-year customer commitment

We’re proud to be supporting our customers with reliable services and stable pricing as we deliver against the areas you told us you value the most.

  1. Get the basics right, always
  2. Make my experience better
  3. Warn me, inform me
  4. Fair and affordable for all
  5. Support my community, protect my environment

More information

Service charges for 2022-23

These are fixed quarterly or yearly charges which aren’t related to your usage.

 Price per quarterPrice per year Water service charge$20.93$83.72Sewerage service charge$91.94$367.76

Price reduction from 1 October 2022

Water usage prices have decreased by 4 cents per kilolitre due to the remaining 2022–23 desalination water order for Melbourne ceasing.

Find out more

Other service charges for 2022-23

We collect these on behalf of other government organisations to help support our standard of living here in Victoria. 

Parks charge

The parks charge is a once a year charge, it goes towards maintaining parks, zoos, gardens and cultural sites, such as the Shrine of Remembrance, we all enjoy as Victorians. We collect this on behalf of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP),

The minimum charge is $81.60, and is payable by all property owners. The parks charge is a property based charge which is payable on all properties you own. The charge has been applied on water bills since 1958.

Parks chargePrice per yearMinimum charge in 2022-23$81.60

Visit Parks Victoria

Waterways and drainage charge

We collect this on behalf of Melbourne Water. The charge is invested in a number of areas, to keep our waterways healthy, protecting us from floods and ensuring new land developments don’t increase flood risks or damage the environment as Melbourne’s population grows and our suburbs expand. For more information visit Melbourne Water.

Waterways and drainage chargePrice per quarterMinimum charge 2022-23$27.42

Visit Melbourne Water

Pricing and charges handbook

A pricing handbook that provides a list of South East Water’s prices and charges that recover the costs of delivering the services our customers value.

Prices and charges manual 2022-23

378 KB

Download file

Planning for the future with desalinated water

Since 2016, 194 billion litres of desalinated water have boosted our supplies.

Learn more

Is your bill higher than expected?

We'll help you figure out why you might have received a higher bill than you were expecting.

Learn more

Check your previous usage

Have a mySouthEastWater account? Sign in or create an account to check your billing history.

Go to my account

Financial assistance

Whether you need support paying a bill or just handy ways to manage your payments, we're here to help.

How much is 1000 Litres of water UK?

1 cubic metre is 1000 litres, which is around 12 baths full of water or 3,334 cups of tea!

How much does 1 Litre of tap water cost in Australia?

Water use prices.

How much does 1000 Litres of water cost in South Africa?

The tariff for water usage between zero and 6,000 litres would increase from R26. 25 per 1,000 litres to R40. 73. And the tariff for usage between 6,000 and 10,500 litres would increase from R46.

How much is a Kilolitre of water in South Australia?

Water Use, Tiered Pricing Rates.