Water policy

This policy sets out how water is charged and paid for in South Australian Housing Trust rental properties.

This policy doesn’t apply to:

Progressive Purchase Scheme properties
housing managed by Housing SA in Aboriginal communities.

Exemptions from water use invoices

Housing SA exempts the following from water use invoices:

properties in strata and community title groups where it doesn’t own all the properties
joint venture properties, depending on the agreement.

Charging for water

Housing SA:

pays water supply and sewerage charges for South Australian Housing Trust rental properties
pays water use charges and invoices tenants to recover the cost
carries out maintenance at its expense to water and sewerage systems in line with the Maintenance policy

The water provider, for example SA Water, calculates invoices and charges Housing SA. Housing SA on charges tenants by sending them an invoice:

every 3 months
at the end of their tenancy.

Tenants pay their invoices and any water related charges in line with the Account management policy.

Tenants aren’t invoiced:

for water used at the property after their tenancy ends in line with the Ending a public housing tenancy policy
for recycled water.

Tenants can dispute water invoices by contacting Housing SA. Housing SA investigates and may recalculate their water invoice based on their previous water use.

Separate water meters

Tenants with separate water meters, including flow meters installed by Housing SA, are invoiced for the total amount of water they use.

Housing SA doesn’t install separate water meters and doesn’t allow private water meters, including flow meters, to be installed at South Australian Housing Trust properties.

Shared water meters

If properties share a water meter Housing SA pays for the first 30% of the total water charge as a landlord contribution. The landlord contribution takes into account:

minor maintenance, for example repairing dripping taps and running toilets
maintaining common areas, for example gardens and shared laundries
differences in household size.

The rest of the invoice is divided equally between all properties attached to the meter.

Water allowances and credits

Tenants may be eligible for a water concession from Concessions SA.

Water allowances:

apply to the tenant, not the property
apply only for the approved duration of the allowance.

Water allowances stop either:

at the end of the approved duration of the allowance
when the tenant stops being eligible for it.

Water allowance

If someone in a tenant’s household has special requirements that lead to substantial water use, they may be eligible for a Special requirements allowance.

Allowances are for up to 12 months and can't be backdated. Allowances cover part or all of a tenant’s water invoice.

Large households of 6 people or more are entitled to up to 25 kilolitres per reading or 100 kilolitres per year of water allowance.

Tenants who receive a home dialysis allowance from SA Water can also receive an allowance from Housing SA.

Special circumstances credit

Tenants are eligible to have a Special circumstances credit applied to their most recent water invoice if all the below conditions apply:

their property has a shared water meter
no one lived in the property for at least 2 weeks
they can verify there were special circumstances, for example they were in hospital.

Credit for substantial water use

Housing SA identifies tenants who are eligible for a credit for substantial water use. Tenants can’t apply for this credit.

Tenants are eligible if they have a separate water meter, and any of the below conditions apply:

the water use was due to a burst or leaking pipe
the water meter reading was incorrect
the wrong water meter number was assigned to the property
they can show that factors beyond their control affected the water use.

Tenants with a shared meter are only eligible for a credit for substantial water use if it was due to a burst or leaking pipe, for example a concealed leak.

Credit to address soil contamination

Housing SA gives tenants a credit of 200 kilolitres per year when a State Government department tells Housing SA that measures are in place to address soil contamination in that area. This allowance is applied to the property.

Properties with alternative arrangements

If a South Australian Housing Trust property is in a strata or community group and not all the units or lots are owned by the South Australian Housing Trust, the strata or community corporation determines how water is charged and paid for.

If a South Australian Housing Trust property is leased to another organisation, the agreement with the organisation sets out how water is charged and paid for, for example joint venture properties and properties managed in line with the Specialised Housing Program Policy. Tenants in these properties aren’t eligible for water allowances or credits from Housing SA.

Related information

Controlling documents

This policy is based on and complies with:

Supporting documents

Water procedures v4

Date this policy applies from

10 July 2023

Version number

The online version of the policy is the approved and current version. There’s no guarantee any printed copies are current.