Water use, and profit from customers, soared in North East summer

But the organisation has insisted that water bills have been kept at some of the lowest rates in the state.

In NEW's annual report, chair Catherine Botta and managing director Craig Heiner revealed residential customers consumed an average of 223 kilolitres per connection in 2018-19, up from 208 kilolitres the year before.

"Summer temperatures soared - 2018-19 was among the hottest on record for North East Victoria and while the heatwave was challenging, with staff and infrastructure running at capacity, services were not interrupted," they said.

"Our customers' water needs understandably responded to the dry conditions throughout summer and autumn."

Before the dry summer, NEW had predicted it would record a $1.5 million deficit.

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"North East Water understands that any increase to utility bills can affect household budgets and our aim is to make bills as affordable as possible," Ms Botta and Mr Heiner stated.

"The Essential Services Commission recognised our water services as the most affordable in Victoria for the fourth consecutive year, and for the third year in a row, the Bureau of Meteorology identified North East Water as the most affordable water bills in Australia."

They said charges would increase in 2019-20 by 1.75 per cent, leading to an average increase of less than one per cent, or about $8, for the year.

NEW's annual report also looked at the organisation's projects during the year including the creation of detailed designs for the Beechworth Wastewater System upgrade, renewing 2.5 kilometres of sewerage pipes in the town and constructing a water trunk main in Benalla to supply a major new precast concrete facility.

The number of complaints NEW received increased from 176 to 196 in 2018-19 and most related to water quality and customer service.