Buying a property
When you buy a property, you don’t need to notify us.
We don’t disconnect our services when a property changes hands, so water and sewerage services will be up and running from the moment you move in. This also means you won't need to call us to set up an account—it will happen automatically as part of the settlement process.
Here's what will happen
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Changing the property into your name
Your solicitor will send the new property ownership details through to the NSW Land Registry Services to amend in their system. Once this has been completed, the information will be automatically updated in our system.
The next bill that is issued to the property will be addressed to you.
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Current charges at time of sale
As part of the settlement process, the conveyancer requests a water rates certificate (known as a Section 47 Certificate), which provides up-to-date information on the applicable charges for the property. They will then calculate the outstanding charges in settlement to be paid.
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Your first bill
When the property settlement goes through, we don’t send a final bill to the seller. We will continue to read the meter in our normal cycle and send the next bill to you as the new owner.
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Why does my first bill have an overdue amount?
As service charges are based on a four-month period, you may be required to pay some of the charges from the period before you took ownership of the property.
In most cases, the date of the water usage period is different to the date that you moved into the property, which means your first bill will most likely include charges from before the settlement. In this instance, a conveyancer will calculate the water usage portion that is to be paid by the seller.
We don't play a part in settlement calculations, so it is best to touch base with the conveyancer directly should you have any concerns about this process.
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Concerned about an existing structure
Buildings and developments over Hunter Water assets are required to submit applications for assessment.
You may wish to apply for a Build Over Asset Advice if the property has an existing structure built over Hunter Water's assets . This advice will provide information on whether the structure was assessed by Hunter Water and if a Compliance Certificate was issued. Please note, the Build Over Asset Advice is not mandatory for the purchase of a property.
Are you buying or starting a business?
We recommend you order a Trade Waste Search if you are buying or starting a business which generates trade waste. Trade waste includes liquid waste such as grease, oils and chemicals. Find out more about trade waste and how to request a search.