Water service provider performance reporting

Want to learn more? Explore, visualise and compare data from Queensland's water and sewerage service providers using our interactive online tool – Queensland's Urban Water Explorer.

To support service providers in delivering safe and reliable services, the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers maintains a mandatory performance reporting framework which requires annual reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs).

The framework provides organisational openness and gives customers insights into service provider performance and challenges. Service providers will be able to monitor and compare their results with other providers, to help identify areas for improvement and budget priorities.

The purpose of performance reporting is to benchmark providers to encourage voluntary performance improvements and provide information to customers across Queensland to enable them to compare their provider performance to others around Queensland.

This performance data is publicly available to view, explore and compare using Queensland's Urban Water Explorer.

This guide explains water service provider reporting requirements and provides details of investigations.

Reporting requirements for service providers

The key performance indicators (KPIs) are designed to monitor and benchmark performance on these common industry metrics:

water supply security
service delivery
financial stability
infrastructure investment and maintenance
demand management
customer service and affordability
cyber security.

The number of KPIs reported on will vary according to the size of the provider and the type of services provided (as stated in the report requirement notice).

Content of performance reports

The annual performance report will include performance data against the KPIs you are required to report against.

The performance report may also include:

a summary of any findings or recommendations in a performance audit report for the financial year
a report on the implementation of an improvement plan
a report about any action taken as directed by the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers.

Audit of performance report data

Periodically and when directed by the regulator, by notice, service providers will need to engage a third party to audit the accuracy of KPI data provided. A copy of the audit report must be provided to the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers.

A notice issued to a service provider, by the regulator, which requires an audit of performance data still state the notified year and the date by which the audit report must be given to the regulator.

Exceptions

Service providers that only supply water for non-drinking purposes will not be required to prepare a performance report, but must maintain their registration as a service provider.

Report requirement notices

The department issues a report requirement notice to service providers, which lists the KPIs they must report on in their annual performance report.

New notices will only be issued if there is a change to the KPIs or other reporting requirements.

Use the definitions guide for details of the KPIs.

Definitions guide

For the 2024-25 financial year reporting period where the data submission deadline is 1 October 2025 use the updated Definitions Guide version 3 (PDF, 2.3MB).

A new version of the definitions guide is an outcome of a review of the Bureau of Meteorology’s National Performance Reporting (NPR) framework. That review has resulted in some changes to the Queensland Government Key Performance Indicators (QG KPIs) from the 2024/25 financial year.

Most changes made to the QG KPI definitions are to align with the NPR framework. The amended indicators typically draw on information that is already available to you, but some will require you to collect new information as detailed in the NPR and QG KPI guides.

You will continue to report all your information to the Queensland Water Supply Regulator (regulator) in October each year. You can use the Statewide Water Information Management (SWIM) System or the department’s performance reporting template,

The Queensland Water Directorate (Qldwater) will continue to support service providers with training and updates to the SWIM system.

Details of updates in Version 3

There is one new KPI that requires information on the number of full-time equivalent employees in operator roles (QG 1.20a).
There has been a revision in the wording of the definition (QC 1.11), changing ‘produced’ to ‘supplied’ with no underlying data modification.
For QG 1.13-1.16, there is a modification in the units of measurement, where whole number counts are now required instead of counts divided by a thousand.
Thirteen indicators mandated by the NPR have been incorporated, where the majority use information that is already available.
There is one new KPI that requires information on the months of water supply excluding any contingency (QG 2.12a). No further changes.
Five KPIs have been retired and replaced with four NPR aligned indicators that use information already available.
Of the existing KPIs, two have been retired. Their replacements are included in the 10 NPR aligned indicators that detail counts of customer complaints and service interruptions as whole numbers.
A definition modification has been made to QG4.5-4.7, and their plain count equivalents (QG 4.18-4.20), which excludes breaks or interruptions caused by third parties.
No alterations to indicators.

Submitting performance reports

Service providers have until 1 October each year to submit their performance reports for the previous financial year.

Reports can be submitted:

via the Statewide Water Information Management (SWIM) database
or
by completing the department's performance reporting template (provided on request by emailing drinkingwater.reporting@rdmw.qld.gov.au).

The completed performance report must be published on the service provider's website as soon as possible after it is accepted by the regulator.

KPI data for all service providers is compiled in a spreadsheet which contains data from the 2014-15 financial year to the latest financial year available:

anomalous data has been removed from the dataset, as indicated by RD
missing data, as reported by the service provider, is shown as MD
data that is not relevant, as reported by the service provider is shown as NR
indicators with a CPI suffix show that the data has been adjusted for inflation.

View the Water and sewerage service provider key performance indicator data.

Public access to water and sewerage service provider performance data

Performance data reported to the department is made publicly available for Queenslanders to view, explore and compare via:

Queensland's Urban Water Explorer.
the key performance indicator data on our Open Data portal.

Water service provider investigations

Under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008, the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers may take action if information, including annual performance reporting data, indicates an unacceptable risk to water security or continuity of supply of a water or sewerage service. This includes an unacceptable risk that might have consequences in the near future (i.e. an imminent risk), or longer term.

Imminent risks

An imminent risk exists when we reasonably believe:

there is a risk to water security or the continuity of a water supply or sewerage service
urgent action is necessary
adequate measures to mitigate the risk are not in place.

When an imminent risk is identified

We may direct a service provider to take action to prevent or minimise an imminent risk to water security or to the continuity of a water supply or sewerage service.

As soon as practical after giving a direction, we will give the provider an information notice to explain the decision.

Longer term risks

We will investigate a provider's water or sewerage service if we reasonably believe there is a longer term risk to water security or to the continuity of a water or sewerage service.

Information contained within a performance report, audit report or other information held by the department will be used to assess the risk and may trigger an investigation. If pre-existing information is considered in the investigation, the provider may be asked to verify its accuracy.

Investigations

An investigation will determine whether there are any substantial risks to water security or continuity of a service that need to be addressed by the service provider. Investigations can be carried out by an authorised officer as directed by the department.

An investigation report may be produced containing who conducted the investigation, the methods used and the findings and recommendations. The department will give a copy of any investigation report to the service provider.

The investigation may:

be conducted using a desktop assessment
involve a visit by an authorised officer to a service provider's premises
involve a notice to require additional information from the provider
require the department to engage an expert to investigate a risk to water security and to provide advice about complex operational or technical issues.

Cost recovery

After an investigation, the department may give the service provider a notice claiming reasonable expenses incurred in conducting the investigation. Cost recovery can only occur if, after the investigation, the department reasonably believes there is a risk to water security or continuity of the service provider's service.

If the service provider does not pay within 30 days after the notice is given, the department may recover the amount and any interest payable from the service provider as a debt.

Improvement plans for service providers

If an investigation reveals risks to water security or continuity of a water or sewerage service, and there are not adequate measures in place to manage this risk, the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers will issue a show cause notice to the service provider.

We will consider any response by the service provider to the show cause notice to decide if an improvement plan is required by the provider. An improvement plan will need to address how the identified risks to water security or service continuity will be managed.

If an improvement plan is required

If the provider is required to make an improvement plan, an improvement notice together with an information notice about the decision will be sent to the provider. The improvement notice will specify the outcomes that must be achieved by implementing the plan and the time frames for providing a copy of the improvement plan to the department.

The types of issues that might need to be addressed in an improvement plan could include:

a projected lack of capacity of sewerage or water treatment plants to meet demand
insufficient water supply to meet anticipated demand with no contingency plan in place
unmanaged high levels of leakage and system losses
unusual levels of interruptions of service delivery to customers.

A service provider must comply with its improvement plan unless it has a reasonable excuse.

Contents of an improvement plan

An improvement plan will detail:

how the service provider intends to address the relevant recommendations from an investigation
the funding options for addressing the recommendations
the time frames for implementation
requirements for reporting on implementation.

Reporting on an improvement plan

A service provider is required to report on the implementation of any improvement plan in their annual performance report. An audit of the key performance indicator data in a performance report does not need to consider any information supplied about the implementation of an improvement plan.