Residents of Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong will now have the lowest water and sewerage bills of any capital city in Australia, NSW Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian has announced.

IPART’s four year water price determination commences today, providing a price cap on water and wastewater charges that Sydney Water and Hunter Water can charge its customers.

For a typical household consuming 200kL of water per annum in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, this will result in a fall of around $94, or about 8 per cent, on the annual bill. After Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, the next lowest water and sewerage bills are in Newcastle.

These falls in water prices have been made possible thanks in large part to efficiencies made by Sydney Water Corporation.

“We have worked hard over the last five years to make our water businesses more efficient to ease cost of living pressures for the people of NSW,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“When we came to office, Sydney residents paid the second-highest water and sewerage bills among the capital cities and now they enjoy the lowest bills of any capital city in Australia.

“While the average water bill in other capital cities has increased from 10 to 40 per cent over the last five years, residents in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong have had their bills fall by more than 4 per cent over the same period.

“This is in stark contrast to Labor’s last five years in office, when Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong water prices increased by more than 50 per cent.”

Minister for Water Niall Blair said the Government would continue to maintain the highest standard of water quality. “I am proud we have the world’s best drinking water and we are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver that quality while ensuring we can deliver lower water bills for Sydney families,” Mr Blair said.