🏛️ Council

Water bills will double at Wellington East as SA Water considers takeover

Here’s what a takeover from the Coorong council would mean for residents, for better and for worse.

Peri Strathearn

Jan 15, 2024 — 3 min read

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A sharp price rise for water at Wellington East will be hard for residents to swallow, but there may not be a better alternative. Photo: Coorong District Council.

Wellington East households should brace for a massive increase in water bills in the near future.

That much has become clear following an SA Water offer to step in and upgrade the mains water service in the area.

Until now, the Coorong council has only provided non-potable river water to local households – that is, water that is not fit for human consumption.

However, as the 2022-23 floods proved, the quality of that water wasn’t great, and could pose a risk to people’s health if they drank it.

SA Water has proposed to provide drinking-quality water to all local households, and invest in the infrastructure needed to cope with continued population growth.

But there would be a catch.

Household water bills at Wellington East would more than double, from $338 to about $689 per year.

Incredibly, though, that might not be the worst option.

Water system needs ‘significant’ investment

Council staff laid out the problem for councillors at a closed-doors meeting in November.

The current water system was at capacity, and would need “significant” investment to cope with population growth.

Worse, the Essential Services Commission of South Australia was likely to force the council to remove a subsidy which had kept costs down for Wellington East water users.

Without the subsidy, water bills would rise to about $776 per year – another $100 higher than what SA Water was proposing.

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“There is little justification to supply customers with a poorer quality water product at a higher usage rate than that of SA Water,” the council’s capital projects manager said in a report.

“Council does not have the economies of scale to provide the current system at a competitive rate to the SA Water system.”

It would make more sense to allow SA Water to take over, as residents would end up with higher bills either way.

However, residents will not be able to opt out of the takeover if it happens – any decision by the Coorong’s councillors will apply to everyone.

Properties coloured blue would be connected to the new SA Water system, and those coloured orange would be able to connect to it. A further expansion would be needed to connect properties coloured red. Image: Coorong District Council.

Have your say before councillors reach a decision

A public meeting about the proposed changes will be held at the Wellington Hall at 6pm this Thursday, January 18.

Another meeting will be held in the Coorong council chamber at Tailem Bend, and live-streamed online, at 6pm next Wednesday, January 24.

The council encouraged residents to find out more about the project, and offer their feedback, before February 5.

Councillors are expected to make a decision in March; a second round of consultation would then follow in the second half of this year.

Attend a meeting: Visit the Wellington Hall at 6pm on Thursday, or the Coorong council office at Tailem Bend at 6pm next Wednesday; or watch the Tailem Bend meeting at us02web.zoom.us.
Have your say: Complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com by 9am on February 5.
More information: Visit www.coorong.sa.gov.au, call James Clarke on 1300 785 277, email council@coorong.sa.gov.au or download the FAQs below.