Urban water meters and leaks

Water meters are usually located below ground level in a box near the road boundary of your section.

Water meters are located near your boundary.

There is a shut off valve in the meter box so you can turn your water off for any plumbing repairs. Keep the meter free clear of shrubs, plants and bark. 

It is a good idea to check your water meter regularly to ensure you have no leaks. Moderate dampness is common for underground boxes though if a water can be seen flowing, there is a leak.

Additional info:

* The blue handle is your valve, if you ever need to turn your water off you can use this.

* Pipework from the meter to your house is privately owned, the property owner must ensure this is maintained and pay for repairs.

* We may read your meter for billing purposes, but also during water rationing to ensure water wastage is minimised

Water meter dial shows usage in cubic metres. The black numbers are read and billed on your water invoice.

Reading the water meter is a simple task.

There are eight numbers: The four on the left record whole cubic metres, the four on the right in red record parts of a cubic metre (litres).

Example

01827631 shows you have used 01827.631 cubic metres (m3) of water.  Put another way, you have used 1,827 cubic metres and 631 litres of water. 

A cubic metre equals 1,000 litres or 220 gallons.

When it comes to charging, only the black numbers (cubic metres) are used and will appear on your water account.

Water meter dial with cog - if the cog keeps moving when everything is off, you may have a water leak.

Step 1. Locate and read the meter

Water meters are usually located below ground level in a box near the road boundary of your section.

Step 2. The leak test

If your consumption seems high, you should carry out this simple leak test on your plumbing:

• Shut off all household appliances and outside taps.
• Once everything is off, you can return to the meter and inspect the white (cog) dial.
• If you have no leaks the cog should remain stationary. If the white cog continues to spin you may have a leak within your property which needs dealing with.

Step 3. The search for the leak

Trace your water pipe from the meter to the house. Clues to water leakages include:

• water appearing in a concrete area
• wet patches on the lawn or garden
• dripping from an overflow pipe
• damp areas (inside, outside and under the house)
• A constantly dripping tap, or running toilet

• Replace washers in all leaking taps - one drip per second wastes 12,000 litres of water per year.
• Fix sticky handles on toilet water cisterns to stop water running through.
• Put a few drops of food colouring in the toilet cistern to check for leaks. If any colour appears in the bowl after ten minutes without flushing, you need to get the seal repaired.

In order to prepare a final bill for the property you have sold, you should contact us for a final reading of your water meter when you move out.

These special readings are done weekly and an extra charge applies.

Also, remember to check that the meter is being read at the house you are moving into.