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City West Water

Fixing leaks

There are lots of reasons why your bill could be higher than normal including;

  • using more water than usual
  • changing of appliances
  • a new resident
  • faulty toilets
  • a visible or undetected leak.

If you think you have a leak, perform a leak test.

Leak test

Step 1: Check the latest meter reading on your current bill against your water meter. Note, your meter reading should be higher than the number on your bill as you will have used water since your last meter read. Please ignore Step 1 if you have not received a bill yet.

Step 2: Ensure you are not using any water on your property. Check that:

  • your stop tap is turned on (if you turn it off no water will pass through your water meter)
  • you haven't recently flushed the toilet
  • you haven't used hot water in the last 15 minutes
  • the dishwasher and washing machine is turned off
  • the evaporative cooling is turned off
  • any garden irrigation or sprinklers are turned off.

Step 3: Once you have made sure no water is being used:

  1. Write down the current reading on your water meter.
  2. Wait an hour, then write down the reading on your water meter again (also check if the dials are spinning).
  3. If the numbers on your water meter are the same, there is no leak at the property.
  4. If the numbers are slightly different, or the dials moved slightly, there is either a small leak or could be due to dripping taps or faulty appliances.
  5. If you suspect there is a leak at your property, contact a licensed plumber to investigate.
  6. If the plumber finds a leak on your property, have it repaired immediately.
  7. Ask the plumber for a plumber’s report which will explain what the problem was and how it was repaired.
When you receive the plumber’s report, ensure to obtain a reading from your water meter and the date of the reading and call us on 131 691. If you instead have a digital meter please call 03 9313 8276 instead of 131 691. We may be able to review your account depending on the problem that has been repaired.

How to check if your toilet is leaking

Video

Checking for leaks using your water meter

View Transcript
Can't view YouTube? You can download the following video, captions and transcript files:

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