Frequently Asked Questions
For an overview of the Wastewater Charge, please click here to download our information sheet.
What is the new Wastewater Charge?
The Wastewater Charge is a new charge that all Islanders will be liable to pay (both domestic and commercial). It is intended to raise revenue in order to cover a significant proportion of the operational costs of the sewerage network (wastewater and surface water). It will also provide funding for investigations into improving the Island's sewage treatment.
Income from the charge will not be used for other general revenue purposes.
Why has the charge been introduced?
Currently, funds for the maintenance and extension of the wastewater network have to be requested from the States of Guernsey’s central revenue fund. As the pressure on finances grows and the number of projects in need of States’ funding increases, it has been decided that the wastewater infrastructure needed to develop some financial self-sufficiency. There is also a belief that the whole water business needs to be run on commercial lines, which will in turn reduce the reliance on States’ general revenue which so many projects are looking to take from.
By reducing the reliance on central funding, it will free up States’ revenue for other important projects.
Another issue is that with the introduction of TRP, the expenditure discrepancy between customers connected to the main drain and those on cesspits has grown significantly, as connected customers no longer pay extra for their parish rates as a result of being on the main drain.
Who is responsible for the charge?
This charge was formulated by the Public Services Department (PSD), and was approved in January 2009 by the States of Guernsey.
The administration of the charge and the collection of income will be handled by Guernsey Water/Guernsey Wastewater.
How will the charge be calculated? (2012 Figures)
The charge consists of three parts:
1). A standing charge of £30.84 per annum per household/business
2). Additional charges relating to wastewater discharged:
• Metered customers will be charged on 90% of the water that comes in through the meter (as it is estimated that 90% of water goes to waste¹), at a rate of £0.62 per cubic metre.
• Unmetered customers will be charged £0.14 for every unit of their property's TRP per quarter.
3). A fixed fee of £51.44 per annum per household/business in respect of sewage treatment investigation works. This fee is time-bound and will only be charged for four years (2011 - 2015)²
¹This is the standard figure used throughout the UK water industry
²Subject to States of Guernsey approval in January 2012
How much will this cost me?
The charge will average approximately £150 per household per annum, although the exact amount you pay will depend on whether you are metered for your water supply.
Please try out our Wastewater Charge Calculator which will give you an accurate figure of how much you will be paying.
I am not connected to the main drain system and have a cesspit - do I still have to pay this charge?
Yes. Even if you have a cesspit on your property and are not connected directly to the main sewerage network, you will still have to pay the wastewater charge, as it will be used for the maintenance of the whole infrastructure, which is utilised by main drain connections and cesspit-users alike (cesspit collections are put into the system at a point remote from the dwelling). Also, the income will eventually go towards extending the foul sewer network and minimising the number of cesspits on the Island - so many customers who are currently on cesspits will be able to connect to the main drain in the future.
However, the cesspit-emptying rate will be reduced to approximately half of the normal rate in recognition of the fact that these customers will be paying the new charge in addition to this service. It was considered whether the cesspit-emptying rate should be abolished altogether, but it was felt that a free service would lead to customers making unnecessary call-outs.
Will the charge increase every year?
The long term objective is for wastewater services to be self-funding using the ‘user pays’ principle. In order to achieve this objective, it will be necessary for charges to be reviewed regularly to ensure that the principle is still being observed and adjustments made to the level of charges as necessary. It is probable that charges would be reviewed annually, in common with the Public Services Department’s other fees and charges levied, although it may not always prove necessary to amend them.
Is it cheaper to be on a water meter?
This is very much dependant on how many people are in the household, and how much water is used. However, people on meters generally use around 12 - 15% less water than those not on a meter, which in turn reduces the cost of water bills. This reduced water consumption would also bring down your wastewater bill.
If you wish to apply for a meter, we can send you out an application form, or you can download and print one off by clicking here. The installation of a water meter is free, but please bear in mind that changing to a meter is permanent - you cannot change back to being unmetered once it has been installed.
If you are a tenant of a property and would like to have a meter installed, then we will require a notice of authorisation from the landlord before we can begin installation. Photocopies of this form are acceptable.
How can I pay for the charge?
As Guernsey Water will be collecting the income from the wastewater charge, you can pay using the same methods as you would for your normal water bill. Click here to learn more.
If you currently use Direct Debit to pay your water bill, then you do not need to do anything - your wastewater bill will automatically be debited from your account when the charge is introduced. You will of course be informed of the amount that will be debited from your account in advance.
I am a commercial user, and we do not return 90% of our water into the foul network as waste - we use much more of our water than domestic users do. Do I still have to pay for the full wastewater charge?
It is recognised that certain non-domestic users of water will not necessarily be returning to the system as wastewater 90% of clean water supplied e.g. certain industrial processes discharge large amounts of steam, meaning that the volume of water entering the sewer is much less than the 90% assumed. In recognition of this, PSD, if approached, will negotiate rates for such users to reflect the amount of wastewater actually being discharged to the network, either directly or indirectly. The onus will be on the user to demonstrate that less than 90% of water received is being returned to the sewerage system. If dissatisfied with the outcome of PSD’s assessment, an applicant will be able to request a review of the decision.
Any reduced charges agreed will apply only to the non-fixed wastewater charges and not to the standing charges and will be regularly reviewed.
Why is there a standing charge and a variable charge?
At present, there are fixed costs involved in maintaining the wastewater network e.g. monitoring and staffing; and variable costs based on the amount of flow through the sewers. The latter costs are directly related to the amount of flow generated by each property’s individual discharge, whereas the former are not.
It is therefore appropriate for the charge associated with wastewater to comprise a fixed charge element - i.e. a standing charge - and a further variable charge (for metered properties) or fixed charge (for unmetered properties) based on an appropriate measurement. The fixed charge will provide a significant contribution towards the fixed costs.