Leaks on private property
Property owners are responsible for the repair of any leaks in their homes/businesses and private supply pipes (the pipe from the Council water service to the house and out-buildings like garages and sleepouts). This means that all water that passes through the water meter will become part of your costs – so if your water bill is higher than expected, you may have a leak.
We can give you advice on finding your toby, locating and repairing leaks. Contact us to make a booking.
Water in your meter
Sometimes you may notice some water in your water meter. Condensation does occur inside the plastic box, but this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a leak. There may be a leak if water at the bottom of the box is over a centimetre, and its moving. Contact us if you’re concerned.
Checking for leaks
Household water leaks usually come in two forms, slow or large. A slow leak could be from a fixture – toilet, shower or tap. A large leak could be from the hot water cylinder or leaking pipes.
The steps below will help you identify the type of leak you have.
- Turn off the taps and water appliances in your house.
- Check your water meter. If the arrow on the dial is moving you have a leak.
- Shut off your house toby, and check your meter again.
- If the arrow is not moving, you have a leak in your house or piping to outside taps.
- If the arrow on the dial still moves after you have turned off your house toby, you have a leak between the house toby and the water meter. Look for greener patches or moisture on the ground between your house or driveway and the water meter. Contact a plumber and get a quote before agreeing to any work.
This video will help you find if you have a leak.
You can fix minor leaks/drips yourself – find out more in this Changing washers video.
Finding your house toby
Your toby is usually on the same side of your property as your water meter, near your house; sometimes they’re located together. They are near the closest outside tap to your water meter, or you can look for a pipe rising out of the ground and entering your home. If there is a garden around the possible toby location, you may have to dig around.
Council's water service, which contains the water meter, is located at the front boundary of your property. If you are can't find your water service, call us and request a 'locate water service'.
Watch our video on how to find your toby.
How Council can help
Property owners will have to pay for any water lost to leaking fixtures. Always ask for a quote from a plumber before going ahead with any work.
Council may reassess your volumetric water rate charges if you have found and repaired a leak on your private water supply. Complete the request for credit due to private water leak form below to apply for a credit. We are not able to reassess excess volumetric water rate charges due to visible leaks such as toilets, taps, showers or hot water cylinders.
- Online Request for credit due to private water leak
- Request for credit due to private water leak[DOCX 179 KB]
Leaks will need to be fixed before the next invoice is sent. This is to encourage leaks being repaired promptly and prevent water being wasted.
If you qualify for a government rates rebate or a water rates remission, you may also qualify for funding assistance for the cost of getting a leak fixed. Where do they find out more?
Cost of leaks
Visible leaks such as dripping taps, toilets and showers use more water than you think. You have to pay for any water lost to visible leaks.
Water lost |
Extra costs |
|||
|
Leaking fixture |
Litres lost |
Cubic metres lost each year |
Extra cost |
Extra cost |
|
One drip a second |
14.4 |
5.3 |
$1.44 |
$5.78 |
|
Two drips a second |
28.8 |
10.5 |
$2.86 |
$11.45 |
|
Three drips a second |
43.2 |
15.8 |
$4.31 |
$17.22 |
|
Five drips a second (steady stream) |
72 |
26.3 |
$7.17 |
$28.67 |
|
Running toilet |
96.5 |
35.2 |
$9.59 |
$38.37 |
|
Badly leaking toilet |
201.6 |
73.6 |
$20.06 |
$80.22 |