Water leaks
If you see any major leaks on roadways, parks and reserves and other public areas, please report these as soon as possible to council on 07 315 3030 or report it with Antenno.
Water use changes for all sorts of reasons including having extra people in your household, watering the garden more than usual, or doing more washing or showering.
But if you think that the amount of water in your water rates is higher than it should be, there’s a few things to check to see what is going on.
Use your water meter to check for leaks
There are a few ways to use your meter to check for leaks.
1. Check the spinning disc in your water meter
- Ensure all known water uses in your household are turned off (no showers, washing machine, dishwater, outside hoses or sprinklers or taps)
- Check your water meter and see if the centre disc is spinning. It may be spinning slowly or quickly depending on the size of the leak.
2. Read your water meter overnight
By reading your water meter last thing at night and again first thing in the morning, you can pick up on any leaks and how much water you’re losing.
Make sure everyone has finished with showers, washing, dishes, watering the garden or any other water use. Read your meter and write down the red (litres) figures numbers.
Read your meter first thing next morning before the household starts using water.
Subtract the morning reading from the night reading and that will tell you how many litres [AT1] of water were lost overnight.
If the two numbers are different it means you have a leak.
- Minor Leaks - A loss of about 1 to 5 litres overnight indicates a minor leak.
- Potentially Serious Leaks - If you seem to be losing more than 5 litres of water overnight (when taps, showers, washing machines and dishwashers are all turned off), then you could have a serious leak and should talk to your plumber without delay.
Finding the leak
If you have a possible leak, your next step is to locate it. Here are a few obvious places to start your search:
- Dripping taps – is there a tap that won’t turn off?
- Behind dishwasher/washing machine – any signs of water or water stains?
- Toilet leaks (you can put a couple of drops of food colouring in the cistern and check if the bowl water changes colour without flushing.
- Hot water cylinder - Is the relief valve dripping water in the gully trap?
- Outside - In dry weather, do you see damp patches in the garden, lawn or driveway?
If you find a leak or suspect you have one but can’t locate it, contact a plumber. They’ll help you fix your issue or investigate further.
Who is responsible for a leak?
Homeowners (your landlord if you are renting) are responsible for all water pipes that are on the property’s side of the water meter, even if the meter is outside your boundary. If the leak is on the property side, the homeowner may need to hire a plumber to find and fix any leak for you.
Council is responsible for the water pipes that lead up to your water meter, including the meter itself. If a leak is council’s responsibility or your water meter is faulty, give us a call on 07 315 3030.
Council repairs
Repairs will be carried out as soon as practical. If we need to shut down the water supply to complete a repair, we will let affected homeowners and businesses know in advance whenever possible.
