About your water meter
A water meter records the amount of water used by a property. It is usually located within 1-2 metres of the front property boundary, but may differ for units, rural or commercial properties.
The property owner is responsible for looking after all the pipes from the property side of the meter, while we look after everything from the meter back to, and including, the main.
Gippsland Water is responsible for maintenance of the water service from the tapping on the water main up to and including the water meter. Gippsland Water will replace or repair the property service (plumbing between the water main and the meter), the isolation valve and the meter.
How to read your water meter
Your meter is read every four months, unless you notify us that you are moving in or out of a property. When this happens, we will read the meter to ensure you only pay for the water you use.
The dials on the water meter are black and red, and may be six to nine dials depending on the size and make of your meter.
The black dials show how many kilolitres (1000 litres) have passed through the meter. The red dials show how many litres passed through the meter. We only use the black dials when reading a meter for billing.
If we complete a meter read that is higher than usual at your property, we will notify you straight away either through SMS, email, or letter in the mail.
How to test for leaks
There is a simple test which can be performed to determine whether there is a leak at your house. Write down your meter’s reading, including both black and red numbers. Do not use any water within the property (don’t forget this includes toilet flushing) for a couple of hours (or overnight), then read the meter again. If there is a difference between the two readings, you may have a water leak that needs fixing. DO NOT turn off tap at your meter when performing a leak test.
What is an isolation valve?
In front of the meter you’ll find the isolation valve (sometimes called at stoptap or lever), which looks like a tap.
This valve turns your property’s water on and off. You should use this tap to turn off the water when you’re waiting for a plumber to repair a leak, or if you’re going on holidays.
How to read your water meter
Read the factsheet below for more information on how to read your water meter.