COVID-19 (Coronavirus) FAQs

We understand our customers may be experiencing financial hardship at this time and we are here to help. We have extensive customer assistance programs available to help those in need, which include flexible payment arrangements and the ability to extend your bill due date.

If you are experiencing difficulty with paying your account, please visit our help with paying your bill page before your account becomes overdue.

We have a number of financial support options to help you get through this tough period. Find out how we can assist.

If you have a Pensioner Concession, State Concession, WA Seniors or both a WA Senior and Commonwealth Senior Health Card you may be eligible for concessions on your service charges.

Pension card and State Concession cardholders may also be eligible for a concession on their water use charges. Visit our concession page to find out more.

Our call centre employees are still at the end of the phone and ready to speak with you about your account – just call us on 13 13 85 and we can help. To ensure the safety of our staff we have social distancing measures in place at our call centres, which means it may take us a little longer to answer your call.

Alternatively, you can use our online self-service options. To help us resolve your enquiry faster please submit your request by using one of our online options.

We have a number of options to provide financial assistance to our business customers, including establishing an interest free payment plan and extending the due date on your bill by up to three months. Call us on 13 13 85 to discuss the assistance we have available for your business or visit our website to find out how we can help.

Your water is safe. The water we supply to the Western Australian community meets 100% of the health requirements set by the Department of Health. Water treatment and disinfection processes, including use of chlorine, are effective in removing viruses from water supplies.

The advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Water Services Association of Australia is that there is no evidence Coronavirus is transmitted by drinking water.

There is no need to boil or filter water, buy bottled water for drinking or store drinking water. Safe, clean tap water will continue to be supplied directly every day.

Groundwater replenishment is where highly treated wastewater undergoes advanced treatment to produce recycled water equivalent of drinking water quality. This water is then recharged to an underground aquifer, where it is ‘banked’ for later use as drinking water.

Water produced by the Groundwater Replenishment Scheme is safe. Water recharged remains in the aquifer, before it is drawn out at another location, treated at a water treatment plant, and added to the water supply scheme.

We operate recycling schemes that provide water for public areas such as ovals and parks. This water is treated so it can be used safely.  

All wastewater recycling schemes are approved by the Department of Health, have treatment and controls in place to ensure the schemes do not pose any risk. 

The advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Water Services Association of Australia is that there is no evidence COVID-19 is transmitted by drinking water.

From 10 June 2022, contractors and visitors no longer need proof of vaccination as a condition of site entry. 
 
Where possible, access your account online or call us on 13 13 85 (8am - 5pm weekdays). You can also submit an enquiry via our online form.

We have taken steps to prepare for COVID-19 to ensure water and wastewater services are maintained for our customers.

This includes continuing to carry out essential preventative maintenance work, which minimises unplanned water supply interruptions that can lead to lengthy outages that can impact a large number of households.

Our normal day-to-day operations will continue and these may occasionally result in a temporary interruption for some customers. We understand more people are working from home, so we’ve made adjustments such as carrying out work overnight where possible to minimise any potential impacts.

If your water supply is interrupted you can check the restoration time on our website, or phone us 24/7 on 13 13 75.

Leaks and bursts occur in every water supply scheme and are unplanned. We have taken steps to ensure our response to incidents continues as normal.

Please continue to report water and wastewater faults to our 24/7 Operations Centre on 13 13 75.

There is no evidence that Coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has been transmitted via wastewater systems.  

Standard water and wastewater treatment and disinfection processes are expected to be effective against the Coronavirus.

Find out more about our wastewater treatment processes.

You can only flush the 3P’s down the toilet – pee, poo and (toilet) paper – everything else must go in the bin.

Anything other than the 3Ps may result in a blockage. Items such as wet wipes, paper kitchen towel and sanitary products should be disposed of in a bin, as this material does not break down in wastewater pipes.

If a blockage occurs in Water Corporation’s wastewater network, then our crews have the unenviable job of clearing these blockages. However, if the blockage occurs within the internal plumbing of a home, then householders are responsible for any plumbing repair costs.

For more information please see our tips on what not to flush.

We have a regular maintenance program in place for our wastewater networks.

Over the past five years, we’ve spent nearly $20 million clearing blockages from wastewater systems across the state.

If the blockage or overflow is on your property, you are responsible for any repair costs. Find out who can help and what you should do next. Please continue to report any wastewater blockages to us 24/7 on 13 13 75.

We are continuing to carry out essential preventative maintenance work and upgrades to our infrastructure to ensure our customers continue to receive the essential water, wastewater and drainage services we provide. This work minimises the chance of unplanned water supply interruptions, which can sometimes lead to lengthy outages for a large number of households.

We understand more people are working from home, so we’ve made adjustments to minimise potential impacts on our customers, including carrying out work overnight where possible.

If your water has stopped, please check our outages and works map to find out if it’s a result of a fault or works that we are undertaking in your area. If you’re experiencing a water outage or an issue that isn’t listed on our water outages page you can reach us 24/7 on 13 13 75.