Water and Waste Water Useful Information

If you are experiencing higher than usual water accounts for residential and rural customers it could be due to a number of reasons including:

• Extra occupants at the premises during the reading period (friends or family visiting etc)
• The installation of new hot water service, kitchen or laundry water using appliances
• Water used in establishing new lawns or gardens
• Water used on lawns and gardens during unseasonable dry weather
• Automatic watering irrigation system
• Watering the lawn & gardens unattended (leaving the hose running overnight)
• Other people maintaining your lawns and gardens while you’re away on holidays
• Water used in refilling a swimming pool
• Water used over a long period of time for an evaporative cooler (swampy on roof) during hot weather
• Evaporative cooler (swampy on roof leaking) not properly maintained
• Dripping taps or leaking toilet cisterns
• Water used for livestock consumption during long periods of dry weather
• Leaking stock troughs
• Faulty plumbing
• Unauthorised water usage by others (theft)
• incorrect meter reading

If you cannot explain the increase in your water account you may have a concealed water leak.

1. When you know there should be no water being used at the premise (i.e. no-one inside and all automatic watering systems have been shut off), check your water meter to see if any of the red numbers (or the small wheel) are moving or if you can hear the meter ticking. The water meter should be stationary (and silent) if no water is being used at the premise.
2. Alternatively you could read your water meter last thing at night and first thing in the morning (or during an extended time period where no water is being used). If there is any change in the readings, then this can also indicate that a possible leak exists.
3. Check externally around the property for any unusual wet or damp patches especially along pipe line route. If you believe you have a concealed water leak, you may need to call a licensed plumber to fix the problem. The plumber will usually charge you a fee to inspect, even if they do not have to carry out any work. A licensed plumber must carry out all repairs to your private water pipes and fixtures. Council will not be responsible or liable for any damage or leakage of water supplies infrastructure beyond the outlet side of meter assembly. Tenants in rental properties should discuss this matter with their agent or landlord in the first instance.

Click here for further information on how to spot a leak and what to do next. 

Locate your water meter inside your property boundary. Note the black digitreading (kilolitres) on the display of your meter and compare this reading with the closing reading on your latest water account.

If the reading is less than the figure documented on your latest account, please advise Council during normal office hours. T:02 6036 0100

Councils charge a fee to check your water meter reading at owner’s request.This fee must be paid upfront prior to reading being carried out.

If the reading is found to be incorrect the water meter reading check fee will be refunded and your bill will be adjusted accordingly and reissued.

Faulty water meters are a rare occurrence as Council has a meter exchange program which ensures our meters are replaced periodically, in accordance with industry standards. When a faulty water meter is discovered, the usage recorded by the meter is generally less than the actual water used at the premise meaning that the fault is in favour of the customer. If you feel that your water meter is reading inaccurately you can have your meter tested, under the following conditions:

1. We charge a fee for water meter testing. This fee must be paid upfront prior to any testing being carried out.
2. If the meter registers above 3% of accurate, the test fee will be refunded to you.
3. We will only consider a water meter to be inaccurate if it records +3% inaccurate to the volume of water passing through it under pressure.

If you have any further enquiries about higher than expected water accounts please do not hesitate to contact Greater Hume Council on 02 6036 0100 during business hours.