Hawkesbury City Council and Sydney Water have reached an agreement for the divestment of the Windsor Sewer Scheme for the benefit of customers.
The divestment includes the South Windsor treatment facility as well as the pumps and pipes infrastructure that service 8,500 customers, comprising around 7,500 households and 1,000 businesses in Windsor, South Windsor, Bligh Park, Windsor Downs, McGraths Hill, Mulgrave, Vineyard, Pitt Town and Clarendon. Under the agreement, Council will retain ownership and operation of the McGraths Hill treatment facility under contract to Sydney Water.
From 1 July 2026, existing customers of the scheme will no longer receive a wastewater bill on their annual rates statement but will instead receive a wastewater bill directly from Sydney Water. For all properties who already receive wastewater services from Sydney Water, there will be no change.
Letters explaining the changes are in the process of being sent to all affected customers and will be delivered by next week.
Until now, Hawkesbury City Council was the only metropolitan Sydney council that operated its own sewer scheme, and customers routinely paid $1300 per year for the service, nearly twice the Sydney Water rate for sewer and a figure which was expected to grow as environmental upgrades were required in the future. For some customers, this is expected to mean a significant saving on how much they pay for wastewater services – up to an estimated $599 per year for a residential customer, in perpetuity.
Hawkesbury City Mayor Les Sheather welcomed the agreement, which will deliver important cost-of-living relief to the 8,500 customers of the Windsor Sewer Scheme.
"Hawkesbury City Council has proudly served our sewer scheme customers for many years, however Sydney Water – with its unrivalled expertise, focus and size – can offer just as good a service at a fraction of the price," Mayor Sheather said.
"This is a win-win-win for our community: lower bills for customers, the removal of a costly and aging facility from Council's books, and a significant reduction in risk for Council."
Sewer Infrastructure Charge
Windsor Sewer Scheme customers will continue to receive a Sewer Infrastructure Charge payable to Council. This charge is separate from the cost of providing sewer services. It relates to the repayment of historical loans taken out by Council to fund the repair of the Windsor Sewer Scheme following the March 2021 flood.
The Sewer Infrastructure Charge, while appearing as a one-off charge, will equate to $344.84 per year, or $86.21 per quarter, and will remain on customers' Council rates notices for the next 10 years irrespective of the divestment of wastewater services to Sydney Water.
