Consumers | The law handbook - Legal Information Access Centre

11 Consumers 389MeterUnless a person has caused damage to themeter either negligently or on purpose,Sydney Water and Hunter Water have responsibilityover the maintenance (and costsof maintenance) of meters regardless ofwhere they are placed.Customers may also ask for their meter tobe tested. If the meter is working accurately,the customer will be required to pay for thecost of testing (see Types of charges at[11.630]). However, if the meter is overrecordingby more than 3% of the actualamount of water passing through it, SydneyWater will:• repair or replace the meter,• refund any meter testing charges, and• adjust the customer’s account on a basisthat is representative of the customer’sconsumption pattern.The same applies to Hunter Water where themeter is over-recording by more than 4%.Sewer blockageCustomers are responsible for maintainingtheir private sewer pipes up to the junctionwhere they connect with Sydney Water orHunter Water’s sewer main. If the blockageis in the customer’s system, the customer isresponsible for arranging for a licensedplumber to clear the blockage.Sydney Water and Hunter Water will clearany blockages in their sewer main at theirown cost, upon the notification of a blockageby a customer. However, a customer may beliable for the cost of clearing the blockage tothe extent that they caused it.Sewage overflowSydney Water and Hunter Water are responsiblefor cleaning up any damage andminimising health risks to the public if thereis a sewage spill on a customer’s propertycaused by a failure of the supplier’s system,such as a blockage.For Sydney Water customers: In the event ofa sewer overflow, customers usually calltheir private plumber. If the plumber identifiesthe blockage as being in Sydney Water’ssewer main, they will need to notify SydneyWater as they are not authorised to performwork on Sydney Water’s mains. SydneyWater will investigate and if they acceptresponsibility, Sydney Water will fix theproblem. The customer can claim for theplumber’s reasonable costs under SydneyWater’s sewer choke policy.For Hunter Water customers: If a customerreports a sewage overflow and HunterWater confirms that it is a one-off dryweatheroverflow due to a failure in theirsystem, Hunter Water provides customerswith a rebate of 30kL of water that is appliedto their next bill. If a customer experiencesthree or more dry weather sewage overflowsin a financial year due to a failure inHunter Water’s system, the customer isentitled to have a rebate of 120kL of waterapplied to their next bill.Service interruptionsIt may be necessary for Sydney Water orHunter Water to interrupt a customer’swater supply or sewerage service for maintenancepurposes. In the event of a plannedservice interruption, Sydney Water andHunter Water will provide customers withtwo days’ written notice (seven days fornon-residential customers) outlining the expectedtime and length of the interruption.Sydney Water and Hunter Water will attemptto ensure that any planned interruptionsare no longer than five hours.If customers experience an unplannedinterruption to their water supply or sewerageservice, Sydney Water and Hunter Waterwill attempt to restore the service as soonas possible and provide information on a24-hour emergency phone service. The suppliersmay provide emergency supplies ofwater in specific circumstances.For Sydney Water customers:• If a planned interruption is longer thanfive hours, customers are entitled to anautomatic rebate of 10% of their quarterlywater and/or sewerage service charge(subject to a minimum payment of $30).• If an unplanned interruption is longerthan five hours, customers are entitled toa rebate of 10% of their quarterly waterand/or sewerage service charge (subjectto a minimum payment of $30).