Price hike adds to water woes

Residents who have dirty brown water supplied to their homes have discovered they are paying twice as much for it than people in Bunbury.

Confirming residents’ concerns about the quality of water supplied to Australind, the Economic Regulation Authority this week released a report which found that Australid and Eaton residents had the highest number of water quality complaints across 32 WA towns and cities.

The 2011 Water, Wastewater and Irrigation Performance Report said the a r e a ’ s 15.4 compl a int s pe r 1000 properties was way above the State average of 3.6 per 1000.

The same residents complaining of dirty water are also being slugged bills similar to Perth residents for their water.

Outside of Bunbury, the Water Corporation charged $1.192 per kilolitre for the first 150kl of water — an increase of 13.9 per cent on last year.

The city’s Aqwest customers pay just 55 cents per kilolitre for the first 150kl.

Both companies take their water from the Yarragadee aquifer.

Murray-Wellington MLA Murray Cowper used Parliament last month to voice his outrage at the cost difference.

‘‘Why should they have to pay the same price as people in Perth and Kalgoorlie?’’ Mr Cowper said.

‘‘They’re taking water out of the same tank but charging different.

‘‘I just don’t understand how Bunbury’s water can be cheaper. It costs the same to build infrastructure there as it does in Australind.’’

Last week the South Western Times reported Australind residents’ outrage that they were been supplied brown drinking water.

The Water Corporation has since flushed the pipes in an attempt to fix the problem.

Kingston resident Michelle Robins said the cost of water combined with quality problems had angered many residents.

‘‘We have been watering less and our consumption is down but the price keeps going up,’’ she said.

‘‘To have dirty water and be charged more is ridiculous.’’

The Economic Regulation Authority will undertake an inquiry into the costs and tariffs of the Water Corporation, Aqwest and Busselton Water Board for a three year period to 2015-16.

The inquiry is done every few years and determines what prices residents pay for their water.

‘‘We have to pay this price and it’s not even clean,’’ Mrs Robins said.

‘‘It needs to stop.’’