The Secret Life Of Your Water Bill: What You’re Really Paying For

As you check your letterbox (or open your email), a sense of dread washes over you as you realise it’s that time again … your next water bill has arrived. Internally, you feel frustrated about the cost, especially since you consider yourself water-conscious – you’re taking short showers and nagging the kids to turn off the tap when they brush their teeth. Many of you reading this are likely nodding in agreement. Combined with the increasing cost of living, the frustration, stress, and annoyance only grow.

RS Sequana water bill

For those outside the water industry, opening the letterbox to see the latest water bill or hearing a ping as it lands in your inbox can elicit a sense of dread, or at the very least a disbelieving shake of the head … how much is it this time?

While at the other end of the spectrum, those familiar with the water industry shake their heads for different reasons – with astonishment to think about the scale of what water corporations are delivering, while managing to keep the taps on!

At Sequana, we’re dedicated to driving positive change and fostering constructive debate through our Water Sector Insights and Leadership series, which includes demystifying some of the lesser-known aspects of the industry.

In this article, Melissa Thek, Director – Strategy, Transformation & Delivery, and Suhaib Malkawi, Civil Engineer, team up to unpack the components of a water bill in a bid to shed some light on what’s really behind the amount we pay.

Highlights of the piece include:

The true cost of turning on the tap and having clean, amazing-tasting drinking water come out. Similarly, the cost of having our waste removed at the press of a button.
An elaborate network of infrastructure that’s largely hidden from sight that play a critical role in making our water ecosystem work – think water treatment plants, reservoirs, pipelines, and wastewater facilities – which need to be maintained.
Unprecedented investment in a genuine commitment to authentic customer engagement from the water industry, which is worth its weight in gold when it comes to outcomes. This includes vital cultural heritage and environmental considerations.
The challenge Australians face as they choose to purchase bottled water for convenience – at up to 2,000 times the price of tap water (which makes the water bill immediately seem more reasonable).
The impact of water scarcity and climate change mitigation – both of which require extensive investment from water corporation.

Download the full article here and join us as we delve into the complexities behind our water bills.

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