Annual Watermark

How we performed

Customer satisfaction with the quality of drinking water reached a record high of 79%. Customer complaints decreased, and there were no non-compliances under the Safe Drinking Water Act. We maintained our strong performance by meeting all customer commitments related to the delivery of high-quality drinking water. Additionally, all water quality samples and audits were fully compliant with legislative requirements.

Customer Assessment Panel

“Westernport Water provides high-quality drinking water. We are pleased with the improvement in customer satisfaction, the low level of complaints and, most importantly, the continued compliance of water sampling and audits.

We commend Westernport Water for the consistency and quality of the water across the year despite big fluctuations in population, and the challenges of delivery. We also recognise Westernport Water’s responsiveness to complaints. Westernport Water ’s senior leaders make themselves available to talk to the community. We encourage the organisation to keep doing what is working, and suggest sharing the satisfaction, complaint and compliance results with customers.

Despite the good work, taste and odour remain an issue in some localities and during lower-use periods. We encourage Westernport Water to continue working towards consistent water quality throughout the year.

Two participants encouraged further improvement in customer satisfaction, and suggested that the 69 per cent satisfaction target seemed low.

Overall, the Panel considers the outcomes very acceptable and commends Westernport Water for its consistency.“

Outcome 3: Resolve sewer blockages quickly

We continued to deliver reliable wastewater services meeting both targets, with incidents related to sewer blockages responded to in an average of 28.9 minutes and rectified within 121.54 minutes on average. Customer confidence remained strong, with those expressing an opinion rating wastewater management and performance 8.4 out of 10.

Customer Assessment Panel

“Last financial year, Westernport Water resolved sewer blockages quickly. The Panel considers an average response of 28.9 minutes to be within the parameters, and appreciates that issues are generally resolved within a couple of hours or on the same day. Blockages are relatively rare, and Westernport Water continues to meet its targets on this Outcome.

We commend the prompt response to blockages, and encourage Westernport Water to keep focusing on preventing them. We are also pleased to hear of early detection and prevention work to reduce future impacts. We expect that this planning ahead should save money and resources in future years, and we are curious to know if the frequency of blockages declines over time.

We have noticed that response and rectification times have increased year on year. One participant described the increase as disappointing, although they also acknowledged the positive performance against target and recognised that some increase may be expected as communities grow. Another Panel member questioned whether response-time targets could be tightened.

Overall, Westernport Water’s performance is considered solid and appreciated.“

OuR PERFORMANCE	2025-26	2024-25	Target 2023-28
Average time (min) to respond to Sewer Blockages	28.97	27.14	<35
Average time (min) to rectify Sewer Blockages	121.54	96.30	<150

Outcome 4: Keep water interruptions to a minimum

The average duration of unplanned water supply interruptions was 25.45 minutes, well below our target of 85 minutes, reflecting our continued focus on restoring services quickly when disruptions occur. The number of planned and unplanned interruptions per customer was 0.45 for the year, which exceeded our target. This result was primarily driven by an increase in planned interruptions associated with our network scouring program, an important activity that helps maintain water quality and network performance.

Customer Assessment Panel

“Westernport Water has kept water interruptions to a minimum. The Panel appreciates the significant improvement in the duration of interruptions and the prompt response to maintenance issues. This result exceeds expectations and is a strong reflection of the service and commitment of a relatively small field team covering a large area.

Many of the interruptions were planned as part of preventative maintenance work to improve water quality and network performance. We support Westernport Water in managing the trade-off between availability and quality, and in taking proactive measures to prevent unplanned outages. We would like to understand whether preventative programs are delivering long-term improvements.

Reporting on these measures could be made clearer by separating planned, unplanned, and out-of-hours emergencies. We also note the importance of advising customers in advance about the expected duration of planned interruptions.

We encourage Westernport Water to maintain low response times and to keep up its efforts at training the team, and using new technologies to help minimise disruptions.

Overall, the Panel considers Westernport Water’s performance very good compared to that of other similar water providers.“

How we performed

Overall, customers provided very positive feedback about their experience with  Westernport Water, with 93% of customers who interacted with us reporting that we were easy to deal with. Customer complaints remained below target levels and improved compared with the previous year. We also maintained excellent network performance, recording no Priority 1 water main bursts or leaks during the reporting period.

Customer Assessment Panel

“Westernport Water is performing exceptionally well in being there when customers need it. Staff are accessible, professional and easy to deal with, and issues are generally addressed quickly. Phone response times and the response to bursts were also praised.

We commend the team for delivering excellent customer service and note that these results are being achieved by a relatively small team working in a challenging environment. One Panel member described Westernport Water as the kind of utility service customers should not have to think about because they can trust that it will be there when needed.

We encourage Westernport Water to maintain these high standards and promote its good performance more widely to customers. One participant who experienced a burst water main was pleased with the prompt repair but said there was an opportunity to improve follow-up communication about reinstatement work.

Overall, the Panel considers Westernport Water’s performance very strong, and the team should be congratulated.

The Panel also shares its appreciation for the opportunity to engage through the Customer Assessment Panel and Annual Watermark.“

Our Performance	2025-26	2024-25	Target 2023-28
Number of customer complaints  (per 100 customers)	.27	.35	< 0.6
Average response time (min) to Priority 1 bursts and leaks	0	57	< 30
Average response time (min) to Priority 2 bursts and leaks	25.78	24	< 35
Customer satisfaction with ‘Ease of Effort’  (% of survey respondents)	93%	96%	> 89%

How we performed

We increased customer support by 10% to help customers in need throughout the year,  awarding 272 hardship grants and facilitating 530 utility relief grant payments from the Victorian Government. Overall, we connected customers to over $1.33M in support, including concessions, rebates, relief grants and high usage leak allowances.

Customer Assessment Panel

“Overall, the Panel values Westernport Water’s support for customers in hardship. Westernport Water is performing very well in supporting customers to keep essential services affordable.

The Panel appreciates its positive and proactive approach to supporting people experiencing hardship, and the range of assistance available. It is heartening to see that Westernport Water upholds a duty of care to the community and this is evidence that Westernport Water considers customers’ private
circumstances.

We commend Westernport Water for helping people in need by making relief available where warranted.

Overall, we are comfortable with this support being funded by all customers, and describe it as customers helping their neighbours, or a ‘pay-it-forward’ approach. Some Panel members said they had been unaware that hardship grants were available, suggesting there may be an opportunity to
increase awareness of this support.

We do note some concerns about affordability more generally, particularly the level of fixed charges compared with usage charges. One participant noted that Westernport Water should ensure it is managing operational efficiency to control costs for all customers.“