A leaking water pipe, toilet or tap can lose anything from a few litres to thousands of litres of water every day.
Losing water to a leak will also cost a lot extra when it’s time to pay your water bill.
If a leak occurs on a home owner’s side of the water meter, the owner is responsible for repairing it.
How to check for leaks
Reading your water meter is a great way to check for water leaks on your property:
- Turn off all taps and water-using devices.
- Learn how to check your water meter reading.
- If the dial is not visibly moving, wait for at least 15 minutes (the longer the better as small leaks may take longer to show)
- Write down the black and the red numbers again - have they changed?
If the red numbers have changed, there is a leak and you need to look for it.
Common leaks
Dripping taps: A few drips per minute may not seem like much but can add up to 12,000 litres of water each year! Changing the tap washer will usually stop the leak. Learn how how to change a tap washer.
- Toilets: A continuously running toilet can waste up to 96,000 litres of water per year, but toilet leaks often go unnoticed. Here's an easy way to check if your toilet is leaking.
- Remove the lid of your toilet cistern.
- Place a few drops of food dye into the cistern.
- Do not flush your toilet for 10-15 minutes.
- If the dye seeps into the bowl during that time, you have a leak.
- If your toilet is leaking, contact a licensed plumber.
- Hot water systems: Check whether the expansion valve is releasing water, even though you haven’t used hot water for a while.
- Underground pipes: Look for patches of grass which are greener than the surrounding grass.
- If you have a leak you can’t fix, call a licensed plumber to repair it.
Leaks in public places
If you see water leaking in a public place, such as on a road or footpath, let us know by calling 02 4306 7900.
What causes pipe leaks?
Leaks can be caused by anything from changing weather or ground conditions, tree roots or construction work.
