Regulator releases amendments to the Water Industry Standards

The Essential Services Commission has amended the Water Industry Standards, the rules that set out the level of service water businesses must provide to customers across Victoria. The changes take effect from 1 April 2024.

The amended Water Industry Standards include new obligations on water businesses to report to the commission in a timely manner when they identify an actual or potential non-compliance in relation to the Water Industry Standards. The new reporting obligations will better enable the commission to promote compliance by water businesses.

The amendments also include updates to the family violence provision, which means that in addition to the requirement to have a family violence policy, water businesses will need to take action on each of the measures identified in the family violence clause of the Water Industry Standards. The clause includes that water businesses must, among other things:

• provide all relevant staff with appropriate and ongoing training to identify and deal appropriately with customers affected by family violence
• promote customer safety by securely handling information about those who are affected by family violence, including in a manner that maintains confidentiality
• specify and implement an approach for the management and recovery of debt from customers who are affected by family violence.

The changes follow recent compliance and enforcement activities by the commission, which highlighted the need for further clarity in these areas. The water industry and other stakeholders were offered the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft, and all feedback was taken into consideration in the development of the final decision.

The commission will assist water businesses to operationalise the new obligations, including by holding workshops and providing detailed guidance on how to manage the new reporting obligations.