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Developing your land

When developing your land you may need to apply to Sydney Water for a Section 73 Compliance Certificate. You might also need to apply to deviate or extend Sydney Water's pipes or permanently close a road. Information can be found here on all these applications.

Revised developer charges

Sydney Water has completed the review of its developer charges in line with the requirements of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART). The revised charges took effect from 1 July 2007.

The developer charges for Penrith wastewater, Gerringong wastewater, Orchard Hills water and North Richmond water will be re-exhibited. Details of the exhibition will be noted on this site. In the meantime, the 2001 charges will continue to be applied in these areas.

Sydney Water is also finalising the review of the Rouse Hill recycled water developer charge. Once the public submissions have been reviewed Sydney Water will adopt the revised charge and advise via this website.

Requirements for servicing your development or subdivision

When you develop or subdivide land, and depending on the type of development (PDF - 55KB) , you may require a Section 73 Compliance Certificate from Sydney Water. The purpose of this certificate is to ensure that:

your development or subdivision is served by our water, sewer and in some cases stormwater systems
you have paid any necessary contributions towards existing infrastructure.

Getting a Section 73 Compliance Certificate

Applications for a Section 73 Compliance Certificate have to be lodged for you by a Water Servicing Coordinator through our e-Developer system. Sydney Water does not accept applications directly. The four stages in obtaining a certificate are:

select a Water Servicing Coordinator
receive a Notice of Requirements letter specifying charges to be paid and work to be constructed
pay charges and construct works
receive certificate.

Other Sydney Water approvals

You may need other Sydney Water approvals for:

Moving our pipes

You must not undertake any work near Sydney Water pipes or remove or replace pipes without Sydney Water approval (and this includes the placement of any temporary pipework).

During the planning of any building or construction activity you need to assess whether the work will be close to Sydney Water's pipes. To assist in determining protection requirements for pipes you can utilise the Guidelines for Building Over/Adjacent to Sydney Water Assets (PDF - 366KB) .

If pipes may need to be deviated you must engage a Water Servicing Coordinator to lodge an application for Sydney Water approval.

If the application is approved Sydney Water will advise what needs to be completed including the lodgement of an appropriate construction bond. Work must not start until approval is obtained.

Permanent road closure

If you are undertaking a permanent road closure and a Subdivision Certificate is required by Land & Property Information NSW (LPI), your consent authority will require you to apply for a Section 73 Compliance Certificate. If that certificate is not required, you will need to make an application for a Road Closure.

You must engage a Water Servicing Coordinator to lodge and manage either application. Sydney Water will then advise of any requirements that need to be met before a Section 73 Compliance Certificate or an approval to the Road Closure is issued.

Extending our pipes

To connect to Sydney Water's water or sewerage systems you will need to have a suitable water pipe in a street fronting your property or sewer pipe within your property. If there is not a suitable pipe you can apply for a pipe extension.

For more information please phone Sydney Water on 9828 8682.