Water Meters

Water meters measure the amount of water used at your property. Council reads your meter twice a year for residential properties and four times a year for commercial properties. The timing of these readings vary dependant on your location within the City.

The dial on your water meter is where you will find how much water you have used. The black numbers on the white dials are the kilolitres (kL) used. The white numbers on the red dials are the litres (L) used. One the red dials reach 1,000L it will add one to the white dials (kL).

Our Meter reader only records the Kilolitre numbers.

The red dials can assist in identifying water leaks. If they move when there is no water usage on the property then you may have a leak and should contact a plumber for a full inspection.

If you think the meter reading on your account is not consistent with your Water Meter or you think there has been an error our dedicated Customer Service Team can assist. Please phone (07) 4747 3200.

Water meters are usually located inside your front property boundary. The meter is usually located within 600mm of the side boundary and 600mm inside the front fence line. In older areas, the meter may be in line with the hose tap at the front of the house.

If you have trouble locating your water meter, contact the Customer Service Team or email Council and we can help you locate it.

Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure that your meter is easy to get to so we can read and maintain it. The majority of our customers do keep the area around their meters very well maintained and we thank them for their cooperation.

Tips for making your meter easy to get to:

• Cut back shrubs and grass around meter
• Ensure the water meter is not buried or covered with mulch
• Don’t plant prickly or spiky plants around your meter, e.g. Agave, Bougainvillea
• Access to the meter must be provided at all times for reading and maintenance purposes.

Dogs: We like dogs as much as you do, but for the safety of our meter reader, please ensure aggressive dogs are kept under control.

When your water meter has been identified for replacement it is considered to be at the end of its life cycle. Water meters are mechanical devices and like all mechanical devices they wear with age. We routinely replace water meters and valves when they are nearing the end of their life cycle.

Water meters are replaced at no additional cost to the consumers helping to ensure reliable water infrastructure for our customers. A representative, who is a licensed plumber, will visit your property to carry out the work.

In most instances the meter will be replaced in the same position as your existing water meter.

It is not necessary to be present when the work is being completed, water will be turned off in order to replace your meter, interrupting water supply for less than an hour unless unforeseen circumstances occur during the replacement.

What you should do when your water meter has been replaced

Following a water meter replacement the plumber will leave a "Meter Replacement Docket" in your letter box which recorded the meter reading of the old meter, it is recommended you keep this reading for reference and cross check it with your account.

Following the meter replacement disturbance of soil and pipes during water meter replacement may cause temporary discoloration of the water for a short period.

Keep an eye on your water usage to help detect leaks and abnormal readings.

Working out your usage

• New reading: 2,505,095 LITRES
• Previous reading: 2,496,675 LITRES
• 8420 LITRES OR 8.420 KILOLITRES has been used

Download a Water Meter Accuracy Test application form(PDF, 364KB).

Locating your meter

Knowing where your water meter is important. In an emergency, such as a burst water pipe on your property, you may need to turn off your water at your meter to prevent wasting water and damage to your home and belongings.

Water meters are usually located just inside your front property boundary. The meter is usually located within 600mm of the side boundary and 600mm inside the front fence line. In older areas, the meter may be in line with the hose tap at the front of the house.

It is important that owners maintain access to water meters. If required, Council will send a letter to residents requesting that they maintain the area around the meter.

Using your meter to identify leaks

Identifying leaks on your property is easy and could save you a lot of money. Council has put together a simple guide to help you identify any leaks on your property:

1. Turn off all taps on the property before going to bed. Make sure you switch off any automatic appliances that also use water (e.g. garden irrigation, dishwashers, washing machines, evaporative air-conditioners).
2. Take a meter reading, making note of the black and white numbers.
3. Minimise water usage overnight.
4. Check the meter again the next morning to compare the reading. If the meter is reading higher than before the test, then you may have a leak.