Ipswich City Council

Ipswich Water > Residential > Water Supply Services >

Water Meters

Water meters ensure that customers only pay for the water they consume. Ipswich Water is responsible for managing more than 54,000 water services supplying residential, commercial and industrial customers within our great City. Over the last few years, Ipswich Water has undertaken a process of universal metering, meaning that nearly all of our customers are now metered.

We are responsible for the installation and maintenance of your water services and water meters, which form part of our supply infrastructure. Our responsibility for supply infrastructure ends at the tail pipe of the water meter or at the property boundary (for un-metered properties).

Water meters and greater water efficiency

Water meters are vital tools for monitoring and understanding your household water usage. They provide the basis for conducting a home water audit to determine how much water your household consumes (daily or weekly etc). Most importantly, water meters allow you to detect hidden leaks within your water system which are costing you money on your water bill.

Did you know, that a leak you don't' know about could be wasting up to 20,000 litres of water per year! That's enough water to drink for almost 30 people for a year (based on two litres per person, per day).

Learning how to read your water meter can identify these leaks, and teach you how to monitor your household water consumption.

Location of water meters

For new connections, all residential water meters are located below ground in plastic boxes on the foot path. Generally, meter boxes are located just outside the front property boundary. Meters previously installed above ground are progressively being placed underground, under our current meter replacement program. If you have trouble finding your water meter, contact us for assistance.

How to read your water meter

How To Read Your Meter

Your water consumption is generally expressed in kilolitres. The black numbers on your water meter represent kilolitres, while the red numbers represent litres.

By monitoring your water meter you can work out how much water you are using in and around your home and this can assist you in detecting any hidden leaks, which could be costing you money for water you are not using.

To check your daily consumption, simply record your meter reading every day to calculate how many litres your household used (see Water Consumption Calculator and example below). This will give you an idea of your weekly and annual water consumption.

Checking for leaks

An undetected leak on your property could be responsible for higher than normal water consumption, costing you money on your water bill.

One simple way of checking for leaks is to turn off all taps and see if your water meter continues to register - this can often be done effectively overnight. If the meter continues to register, you may have a leaking pipe, tap or toilet cistern.

A simple check of all your taps, showers, toilets and pipes could uncover hidden problems, which can be easily fixed and will help you save money and precious water. Alternatively, call a plumber for a professional inspection.

Click here to download our 'How to Read Your Water Meter Brochure' and 'Water Consumption Calculator'

Last Updated 16 Oct 2007 |

Print this page |