Water Complaints Scheme - what we do

Utilities Disputes offers a service to resolve complaints that have not been resolved by providers. When you contact us, we will ask if you have made the complaint to the provider.

All providers must have a free internal complaints process that complies with the standards set in the Scheme rules.

Our goal is for parties to resolve complaints themselves, before they reach the end of our complaints process.

If the complaint is not resolved, either party can ask the Commissioner to make a recommendation. If a complainant does not accept the Commissioner’s recommendation, they can:

• Lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman
• Lodge a claim with the Disputes Tribunal
• Go through the court system

If the provider does not accept the recommendation, the Commissioner may make a determination. Determinations are binding on providers.

Complaints about price

The Commissioner cannot look at complaints about the price of water, or how much providers charge. Providers make their own commercial decisions about what to charge. However, the Commissioner can check that a provider has given accurate information about its pricing and applied its pricing correctly.

Dollar value of complaints

The Commissioner can consider claims for amounts up to $15,000.

Water providers which have joined Utilities Disputes

Not all water providers have joined Utilities Disputes. Please follow this link for a list of water providers that have joined.