Meter maintenance

Your water meter needs to be in good working order so that you get charged correctly for the water you use. We own your water meter, so we’re responsible for maintaining it.

For more information about meter maintenance, see our Meter Action Plan 2019 Summary.

Maintaining your water meter

We’re responsible for maintaining, repairing and replacing your property’s water meter. This includes:

• up to 60 metres of service pipe with a 25mm internal diameter or less
• all fixtures and fittings – including the meter and tap – up to the property boundary.

We only maintain the service pipe if it’s in a road reserve.

Parent meters

If your meter is a parent meter that services other meters on multiple properties, we’re only responsible for maintaining the service pipe and the parent meter assembly.

What you maintain

As the property owner, you’re responsible for making sure that the water meter doesn’t get damaged and that it can be easily reached.

To find out which water pipes on your property you are responsible for maintaining, contact us.

For more information about meter maintenance, see our Customer Charter – Rural and Customer Charter – Urban.

Access to your meter

Our staff are allowed to enter your property to read, replace or repair your meter. This may happen between 7.30 am and 6 pm. Other reasons to look at your meter include for surveys or to restrict or reinstate your water supply.

To read your meter, we need to be able to reach it. If we cannot reach your meter, we will:

• ask you for access, or
• leave a card asking you to read the meter and give us the reading (within 7 days).

For instructions, see How to read your meter.

You can provide this information online using our contact us form or call 1800 808 830 and ask for our Metering Team. You need to include your:

• property details
• meter reading (usage in kilolitres (kL) – black numbers).

It’s also helpful to provide your property reference number. This number is displayed on the front of your water bill.

If it’s not possible to get a meter reading, we will estimate your water usage based on the water use history for your property or for similar properties in your area.

Have a problem with your meter?

If you’ve noticed a problem with your meter, we can test it to make sure it’s working properly. For example:

• if your water usage is higher (or lower) than usual
• if the meter is not running
• if your stop tap – the tap near your meter – is leaking water.

There’s a fee for this test. To request a meter test, contact us.

Before requesting a meter test for high water usage there is a simple check you can perform to ensure you don’t have a leak.

1. Make sure all water outlets and appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, evaporative air conditioners and automatic sprinkler systems are turned off.
2. Take a complete reading of your meter including black and red numbers (or take a photo)
3. Do not use water for a period of time eg. overnight or while at work
4. Take another reading and compare.

If you have not used any water and the numbers have increased then there may be a leak.
Please note: Urban water meters will only record if water passes through it.

How we fix your meter

If the meter is not working properly, we’ll repair or replace it for free and refund the cost of the test. We will also refund or credit any amount you were overcharged.

If the meter is not working at all, we’ll replace it for free. For your next bill, we’ll estimate your water usage based on your previous readings.

If your meter has been damaged or vandalised, we’ll fix it and charge you for the cost. The cost will depend on what we need to do to either fix or replace the meter.

For more details about how we test, and replacement and refund conditions, see our Customer Charter – Urban.

Check if your stop tap works

A meter stop tap controls the water supply to your property, and you can turn it on and off. When not used very often, taps can become stiff and difficult to turn. You should check your stop tap is working every couple of months.

Your stop tap is very important and you should be familiar with it. There will be times when you need to turn off your water – for example, when you have a leak, or for doing repairs such as changing a tap washer.

If you have a burst pipe and you can’t find the tap or can’t turn it off, the water damage to your house could run into thousands of dollars.

Locate your stop tap

The stop tap is usually located between your meter and the road. It can be found either above ground or below ground in a plastic or metal box with your meter.

Sometimes a stop tap is shared with other properties, so turning the tap off will also affect your neighbours’ water supply.

Turn your stop tap

To make sure it’s working and not stuck:

• turn it clockwise to completely close – this turns the tap off
• turn it anti-clockwise to open – this turns the tap on.

If the stop tap is a bit stiff to turn, apply some grease to where the spindle enters the body of the tap and try to turn the handle.

If the tap still will not turn or is very stiff, it may need to be cleaned or replaced.

Report an issue with your urban stop tap

You can also download a copy of our flyer, here.

Clean your domestic and stock tap filter

If your domestic and stock water supply pressure drops significantly, the filter may need cleaning (see image below). To do this:

1. Turn the valve to the off position.

2. Unscrew the filter.

3. Clean the filter.

4. Replace the cleaned filter.

5. Return the valve to the open position – the ball-valve handle should be parallel to the pipe.

New meters

If you need a new meter for a new house or development, see Water and sewer connections.