Central Highlands Water
Central Highlands Water is a Victorian government-owned statutory water corporation headquartered in Ballarat, Australia, providing regulated drinking water, wastewater, trade waste, and NATA-accredited laboratory services to 75,000+ residential, commercial, and government customers across the Central Highlands region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1925
- HeadquartersBallarat, Australia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Central Highlands Water does
Central Highlands Water (CHW) is a government-owned statutory water corporation established under Victorian legislation and headquartered in Ballarat, Australia. It provides regulated water supply, wastewater (sewerage), trade waste management, and ancillary services to residential, commercial, industrial, and government customers across the Central Highlands region of Victoria, spanning from Landsborough to Blackwood to Rokewood. CHW operates 15 water supply systems sourced from reservoirs, waterways, and groundwater, alongside 13 wastewater treatment plants, and manages approximately 9,275 hectares of land and 15 water supply catchments. The company is regulated by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) under the Water Act 1989, with no direct competitors in its service area.
CHW's core technology and product portfolio spans drinking water treatment and distribution, multi-step wastewater treatment (Archimedean screw pumps, bar screens, grit vortex, sedimentation, anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic zones, UV treatment), biosolids processing to 15-16% dry solids for agricultural reuse, and a NATA-accredited laboratory (accreditation number 1935) offering chemistry and biology testing for drinking water, wastewater, trade waste, and environmental water. A flagship technology initiative is a 3-year digital water meter rollout in partnership with SUEZ, upgrading 75,000+ meters to enable leak detection, near real-time usage data, and automated meter reads. The company runs 50,000+ water quality tests annually and is investing $25M+ in the Ballarat Sewer Build to duplicate century-old sewer infrastructure.
CHW's revenue model is built on regulated tariffs approved by the ESC for a 5-year period (2023-2028, with a new Pricing Schedule effective 1 July 2026). Revenue streams include usage-based water charges ($2.47-$2.96/kL on a step structure billed quarterly), annual water access fees ($250.04), annual wastewater access fees ($829.36), volume- and composition-based trade waste charges, special meter reading fees ($34.50 per read), developer charges for new connections (capped at $4,000 during 2023-2028), and external laboratory services. The company is executing a $251 million capital investment program over 2023-2028 (59% above the prior period) and has committed $2.5 million to vulnerable customer support. Customer acquisition is automatic upon property connection, and distribution is exclusively through CHW's owned pipe network and treatment infrastructure.
Central Highlands Water firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Central Highlands Water
- Legal name
- Central Highlands Water
- Website
- https://chw.net.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1925
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Central Highlands Water is a Victorian government-owned statutory water corporation headquartered in Ballarat, Australia, providing regulated drinking water, wastewater, trade waste, and NATA-accredited laboratory services to 75,000+ residential, commercial, and government customers across the Central Highlands region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Central Highlands Water industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water and Wastewater Utility Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH), Public Health & Consumer Confidence Reporting (CCR, boil-water advisories, notifications) (EUANAJAL), Non‑Potable Reuse Utilities (Irrigation, Industrial, Cooling) (EUANAGAA), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)
Keywords
Where Central Highlands Water is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ballarat
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Central Highlands Water business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Water Usage Charges: Charges based on water consumption measured in kilolitres (kL). Volume-based pricing with step pricing (Step 1: $2.47/kL, Step 2: $2.96/kL). Quarterly billing for residential and business customers.
- Water Access Fee: Annual service charge for water access: $250.04 per annum. Charged to property owners (except tenanted properties during tenancy periods).
- Wastewater Access Fee: Annual service charge for wastewater/sewerage services: $829.36 per annum.
- Trade Waste Charges: Additional charges for trade waste customers (businesses discharging liquid waste into sewerage network). Charges based on volume and composition of trade waste. Governed by Trade Waste Agreements under Water Act 1989.
- Developer Charges / New Customer Contributions: Developer charges for new property connections to water and sewerage networks. Phased to maximum $4,000 (for both water and wastewater) during 2023-28 period. Supports funding of growth-related infrastructure.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Quarterly | Water Volume Step 1 - standard usage tier |
| Usage-based | Quarterly | Water Volume Step 2 - higher usage tier |
| Subscription | Annual | Water Access Fee - annual service charge |
| Subscription | Annual | Wastewater Access Fee - annual sewerage charge |
| Unit Pricing | Per transaction | Special Meter Reading Fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
Central Highlands Water product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Central Highlands Water is a Victorian state government-owned regulated water corporation that provides drinking water supply, sewerage/wastewater collection and treatment, trade waste management, backflow prevention, recycled water and biosolids production, and NATA-accredited laboratory testing to residential, commercial, industrial and government customers across the Central Highlands region of Victoria. It also provides digital water metering (in partnership with SUEZ), property development connection services, billing and customer care, and community engagement and education programs.
Product overview
Central Highlands Water operates as a regional water corporation providing essential water and wastewater services to communities across the Central Highlands region of Victoria. The company offers a unified suite of services centered around core water supply (drinking water treatment and distribution) and sewerage/wastewater management (collection, treatment, and environmental discharge). Supporting these core operations are digital metering services (in partnership with SUEZ), NATA-accredited laboratory testing, trade waste management, backflow prevention, and customer care programs. The company also provides property development services, community investment programs, and environmental sustainability education. Major infrastructure projects like the Ballarat Sewer Build demonstrate commitment to regional development. The service delivery is complemented by billing systems, online account management (My Account, My Services portals), and community recreation facilities at reservoir parks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Ballarat Sewer Build will service Ballarat for another 100 years
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Central Highlands Water
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Central Highlands Water technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Central Highlands Water partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SUEZcoreCHW has partnered with SUEZ as contracted partner to deliver digital water meters to the Central Highlands region. Over 3 years, more than 75,000 existing water meters will be upgraded to digital water meters at no additional cost to customers. This partnership will enable leak detection, near real-time usage data, automated meter reads, and optimized network operations.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Central Highlands Water competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- North East Water: Regional Victorian water corporation serving Wangaratta, Wodonga and the north-east. Comparable statutory structure, ESC regulation, regional footprint, and combined water/wastewater/recycled water service offering.
- Wannon Water: Regional Victorian water corporation serving the south-west, including Hamilton and Portland. Closely comparable statutory structure, regional/drought-exposed footprint, and similar mix of urban and small-town water and wastewater services.
- Coliban Water: Regional Victorian water corporation serving Bendigo and surrounding areas. Operates under the same Water Act 1989 and ESC regulatory framework, providing comparable water supply, wastewater, trade waste and recycled water services in a similar regional footprint.
- South Gippsland Water: Small regional Victorian water corporation serving the South Gippsland area. Closely comparable scale and structure to CHW, with a focus on smaller communities, drought-exposed supply systems, and statutory corporation status.
- Barwon Water: Regional Victorian water corporation serving Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast. Comparable statutory structure, ESC regulation, regional service area, and combined water supply/wastewater/recycled water offering.
- GWMWater (Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water): Statutory water corporation in western Victoria covering rural and small-town communities. Direct regional peer with comparable drought exposure, multiple small supply systems, and similar customer profile to CHW's Central Highlands footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Greater Western Water: Victorian water corporation serving Melbourne's western growth corridors. Shares CHW's regulatory and statutory framework but operates at a larger, more growth-corridor-focused scale with a comparable mix of water, wastewater and developer services.
- Yarra Valley Water: Large Victorian urban water utility serving greater Melbourne. Same regulatory framework (ESC) and statutory corporation structure, but materially larger scale and metropolitan focus, making it a broad incumbent reference for CHW's model.
- South East Water: Large Victorian urban water utility serving Melbourne's south-east. Same ESC regulatory framework and product mix (water, wastewater, trade waste, recycled water) but a metropolitan scale and growth-corridor focus.
Others
- SUEZ (Suez Water Technologies): Global environmental services and water technology provider; CHW's contracted partner delivering the 75,000+ digital meter rollout. Relevant as a technology/infrastructure enabler rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Central Highlands Water social profiles
Digital presenceCentral Highlands Water compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Central Highlands Water financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Central Highlands Water leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Central Highlands Water funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Central Highlands Water M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Central Highlands Water
What does Central Highlands Water do?
Central Highlands Water is a Victorian state government-owned regulated water corporation that provides drinking water supply, sewerage/wastewater collection and treatment, trade waste management, backflow prevention, recycled water and biosolids production, and NATA-accredited laboratory testing to residential, commercial, industrial and government customers across the Central Highlands region of Victoria. It also provides digital water metering (in partnership with SUEZ), property development connection services, billing and customer care, and community engagement and education programs.
Is Central Highlands Water a public or private company?
Central Highlands Water is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Central Highlands Water founded?
Central Highlands Water was founded in 1925. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Central Highlands Water based?
Central Highlands Water is headquartered in Ballarat, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Central Highlands Water make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Water Usage Charges are the primary driver. The others are water Access Fee, wastewater Access Fee, trade Waste Charges and developer Charges / New Customer Contributions.
Who are Central Highlands Water's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are North East Water, Wannon Water, Coliban Water, South Gippsland Water, Barwon Water and GWMWater (Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water). Broad incumbents are Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water and South East Water. SUEZ (Suez Water Technologies) is listed as an others.
Does Central Highlands Water have an API?
No public API is recorded for Central Highlands Water.
What industry is Central Highlands Water in?
Central Highlands Water's product category is Water and Wastewater Utility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAG, Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration, with a secondary code of EUANAJAH, Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater). Its NAICS code is 221310 and its SIC code is 4941.