How to read your water meter
Calculating your next bill
Water meter protection
Increased water use
Make water wise changes

How to read your water meter

The following diagram helps you read your water meter and keep track of how much water your household is using.

Most meters are metric and read in kilolitres as follows:

This reads 7,894.62 kilolitres which is equal to 7,894,620 litres.

Calculating your next bill

You can use your water meter reading to calculate your next water consumption bill.

Step 1: Take down your current meter reading then subtract the reading from your most recent notice
Step 2: Multiply this amount by the current water consumption charge for your water scheme

If you need help reading your water meter, or it looks different to the image above, please contact Council for assistance.

Find out how to estimate your daily water usage using our Water Usage Calculator

Maintenance

Any maintenance to water meters is the responsibility of Council and it is illegal for residents to tamper with the water meter. Should residents notice the water meter leaking or has sustained damage please contact Council. Residents should be aware that any intentional damage to the water meter will be an expense to the owner.

Tampering is illegal

Reducing recorded consumption is an illegal practice and can result in any or all of the below consequences:

• Criminal Charges
  • Wilful damage
  • Theft of property
  • Fraud
• Offences (Water Act)
  • Unauthorised taking, supply of interfering with water (maximum penalty $124,875)
  • Tampering with devices (including service) (maximum penalty $75,000)
  • Connecting to mains or services without approval (maximum penalty $75,000)
  • Interfering with Council’s assets (maximum penalty $75,000)
  • Take water without approval (maximum penalty $75,000).

Residents who notice damage to their water meter, or who have any queries or concerns regarding their water supply, are encouraged to contact Council on (07) 4970 0700.

Increased water use

Has your water usage increased?

Steps to take if your water usage is unusually high

Consider plausible reasons

Your water use can increase if you have installed new appliances or fittings such as a dishwasher, evaporative air-conditioner or shower head. Other plausible reasons are filling a swimming pool, frequently watering a new lawn or an increase in the number of people staying in your home.

Check your water meter reading

Your water meter may have been misread if the current reading is less than the reading on your account.

Your water meter is usually located at the front of your property near a side boundary. The meter is divided into kilolitres (thousands of litres) and litres. Council records the kilolitre reading only.

On the top of your water meter is a panel containing a series of digits. The black digits represent the kilolitres of water passing through your meter.

If these are less than your most recent account, please record the current reading and contact Council on (07) 4970 0700.

Check for leaking taps and devices

A lot of water can be lost because of leaking pipes and dripping taps. Just one slow dripping tap can waste 9,000 litres of water per year, while a visibly leaking toilet can waste more than 60,000 litres.

• Check for dripping taps and leaking washing machine and dishwasher connections and hot water systems. Also look for damp patches on walls, bricks and garden areas.
• Check for faulty top-up systems, such as pools and water tanks.

Check your irrigation system

Irrigation can use up to 130 litres of water per minute so incorrect timings or leaks can quickly increase your water use.

• Check for broken sprinkler heads and leaks, where your irrigation pipes are visible.
• Check that your watering program is still correct – it can malfunction, for example, after a power outage.
• Check for underground leaks:
  • Set each station for two minutes.
  • Take a reading of your water meter before running the first station.
  • Write down the reading again once the two minutes has run through and calculate how much water was used.
  • Repeat this for all stations.
  • If one or more stations recorded a significantly higher amount of water passing through than others, you probably have a leak somewhere.

Check for other concealed leaks

Do an overnight check of your water meter to identify any unaccounted for water usage.

• Turn off all water appliances, such as showers, washing machine, irrigation, fridge (if connected to water mains), icemaker and dishwasher before going to bed.
• Read and record both the black and red numbers from your meter.
• Each time a toilet is flushed during the night, factor in approximately nine litres of water usage.
• Read and record the reading first thing in the morning.

If any of the numbers have moved, you may have a water leak. If you are satisfied that you correctly factored in toilet flushes and turned off all water using appliances call a licensed plumber. All leaks on the property side of the meter are the responsibility of the owner.

Make water wise changes

In addition to the previous steps to solve water use fluctuations, you can make everyday changes to ensure your water use is reduced overall.

Laundry: Select a washing machine with a four-star rating or better. Front loading washing machines can use up to 50% less water, 35% less detergent and 30% less energy than top loaders.

Bathroom: We use more water in our bathrooms than in any other part of the house so take shorter showers; install a four-star dual flush toilet to save up to eight litres with every flush; and turn the tap off while brushing your teeth or shaving to save 15 litres per minute.

Garden: Don’t overwater; mulch generously as it reduces water loss by up to 70%; and enrich your soil so it absorbs and holds more water.

See Also

Utility Charges