Rural tariffs and charges

The Essential Services Commission (ESC) approves pricing based on our water plan which is approved for a five-year period (2023- 2028). For more information, see the Lower Murray Water Price Review 2023 (Water Plan 5) on the ESC website.

The tariffs and charges you pay for your rural water depend on your property’s location and the services available.

Tariffs and charges 2026/27

For rural tariffs and charges, see Rural tariffs and charges 2026/27.

For rural tariffs and charges for 2025/26, see Rural and urban tariffs and charges 2025/26.

For previous years, please see tariff information below.

Rural water customers

Pricing for rural water supply and services applies to these rural districts:

• Merbein Irrigation District
• First Mildura Irrigation District
• Millewa Irrigation District
• Red Cliffs Irrigation District
• Robinvale Irrigation District
• Yelta waterworks district
• Drainage schemes – Bumbang, Tol Tol, Boundary Bend, Nangiloc Colignan

Rural water pricing also applies to:

• groundwater users
• non-water users
• private diverters

Water usage charges

The charges for water usage are based on the amount used. These charges apply for a one-year period – from the last meter reading (before 1 July) until the next reading (before 1 July the following year).

Water usage billing periods

Most districts have quarterly billing periods for water usage:

• 1 July to 30 September
• 1 October to 31 December
• 1 January to 31 March
• 1 April to 30 June

Millewa and Yelta are billed annually in October.

Water charge rules

For a list of water planning and management charges, see Water charge rules.

Irrigation districts and other water users

Tariffs and charges for the previous years’ irrigation districts and other water uses can be found in the PDF below.

Termination fees

Irrigation and drainage termination fees for the irrigation districts of Merbein, Red Cliffs, Robinvale and First Mildura are set at 10 times the delivery share for the district.