Water services at Port of Mackay

We are committed to managing our water supply services effectively to provide safe, high quality drinking water to our customers.

A key objective of the North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) drinking water services quality plan is to integrate the needs and expectations of our customers into our water delivery standards.

Our customer charter is the amalgamation of those needs and expectations and outlines the acceptable guidelines for the delivery of services within Port of Mackay. It applies to normal industrial connections provided for by NQBP within the Port of Mackay. It does not apply to water connection services that are not installed by NQBP.

Our customer charter

Water quality

Water incident

An incident is any event affecting NQBP water supply infrastructure, which adversely affects the services provided to customers, and to which service complaints can be attributed.

  • Attend to reported incidents within two hours of formal notification 95 per cent of the time.
  • Maintain infrastructure to achieve less than 10 water quality incidents.

Planned and unplanned water interruptions

  • Attend to reported unplanned interruption within five hours of formal notification 90 per cent of the time.
  • Deliver less than 10 unplanned interruptions per 100 connections.
  • Provide a minimum of five days notice for all NQBP planned interruptions.

Water pressure

  • Provide a minimum pressure of 22m or 220kPa at the property boundary under normal operating periods.

New water service connections

  • New service connections will be completed within 15 business days from receipt of application and payment of connection fee, 90 per cent of the time.

Water infrastructure

  • NQBP will maintain all water infrastructure up to and including the water meter.
  • All plumbing works after the water meter are the responsibility of the lessee.

Water meters and automated meter reading (AMR) devices

  • A water meter and an AMR device will be installed and located on the lessee’s allotment as part of each water service connection. The water meter and AMR device is the property of NQBP.
  • Lessees are responsible for providing unhindered access to the water meter and AMR device.
  • As the meter/AMR unit is located on the lessee’s allotment, the safekeeping of the meter/AMR unit is the responsibility of the lessee.
  • Lessees will be required to bear the cost of repairing any damages to the meter/AMR unit, irrespective of who caused the damage, unless the damage was caused by NQBP staff or contractors. NQBP will test the accuracy of water meters at the request of the lessee. A prepaid fee applies for this service. However it is refunded if the water meter is found to be faulty.
  • NQBP will maintain water meters within industry standard limits of accuracy.

Water notices and charges

  • Water meters are read approximately every three months to determine water usage charges for billing purposes.
  • All water usage registered on the meter will be deemed to have been delivered to the lessee, unless an error on the meter can be established.
  • The pricing structure is not set by NQBP but dictated by the water charges passed on by the supplier to NQBP’s water service – Mackay Regional Council. Water costs are passed on to lessees based on the water usage registered on the meter.

Payment of water charges

  • Payment of all water related charges must be made by the due date. Additional charges may be incurred for late payment.

Lessee consultation, complaints and dispute resolution

  • NQBP will keep lessees informed on relevant matters through active two-way communication and will respond to 90 per cent of lessee complaints within five business days of formal lodgement.

Water quality complaints

Complaints may relate to discolouration/staining, taste, odour, illness, cloudy water (e.g. caused by oxygenation), for example.

  • Less than two water quality complaints per 100 connect