Water Meter Services
Your water meter is the most important tap at your address
Your water meter is the most important tap at your address. When it’s on and working, it sends water to all the taps inside the building which include toilet, washing machine, kitchen taps and even hot water. Your water meter is where your local water authority (in most cases Sydney Water) determine how much water you use in your home, which is how they work out what to charge on your next water bill.
However, did you know that if it isn’t functioning properly, not only can it cost more money and can also restrict water usage inside the building. Did you know that the water meter is infact mostly your responsibility? Here’s an image which shows who is responsible for water part of the meter.
relocate or repair a meter
Any time there’s a problem between the water meter and the main supply in the street, Sydney Water will repair the meter for free, provided it’s within 1m of the boundary of the property. However, anything after the meter leading to the building is your responsibility.
But what about if you wish to relocate or repair a meter? Perhaps you’ve reversed over a meter when backing out of the driveway? Perhaps the lawn mower has damaged the meter? Or maybe you’re preparing your front yard to be landscaped? Or the other silent killer is tree roots getting way to close to water meter and mains supply lines which can gradually damage the meter or pipe to and from the meter. This presents a problem as sometimes the work will need to be done “live” ie without shutting off water from the mains due to inability to access the main supply valve, or will require other methods to do so.
Speed comes with experience
Speed comes with experience. We have the necessary expertise and experience to undertake these repairs. We can do so in emergency situations if Sydney Water cannot attend, we have a 24 hour emergency service for water meter repairs and can typically respond within 1 – 2 hours if not less!
If there’s a problem with your water meter and you’re not sure what to
1. With plenty of light, take photos and video of the problem with your smart phone
2. Try to shut off the water meter and the meter valve. If the problem is after the meter, this means that the problem will stop. It will also mean that you no longer have access to mains water supply inside the building until you can get the problem repaired.
3. If you believe the problem is visible, try to clear the area around the potential problem from kids toys, overgrown plants, or even pavers to see if the problem is visible.
4. Usually where water is pooling or a defect on the ground is, is the likely spot where your water meter fault may be. Try to identify it.
steps to take if you’ve noticed the problem
These are steps to take if you’ve noticed the problem. However if you want to keep your meter in good condition, the best thing you can do is to keep a space clear around it. This includes:
Not concreting your water meter into the ground
Not covering it with something impractical like a steel bucket
Not burying it with soil / plants etc
Not allowing plants to grow near it.
WATER METER INSTALL PROBLEMS
This meter has what’s called a fixed pressure reduction valve. This can be removed or replaced to suit the needs inside your home.
This meter was installed correctly during construction but should be raised off the ground a little bit more to ensure that any leaks from it are visible.
This meter is covered in plants and overgrown with plants. It’s likely that it’s either leaking or is to low to the ground to maintain the lawn around it.
This meter is in a great spot, but unfortunately concreted around it. While it’s easy to maintain, it means that in the future if there’s ever any maintenance or modification required, the concrete will likely have to be broken to complete the work.
This metre was installed during a new build. While the meter is leaning, there’s no effect on performance. It does however appear to be poor workmanship which can be easily repaired if required. It is in a great spot because it’s away from vehicle areas and also kept in a low maintenance area.
Does your water meter look like this? This is the result of a vehicle reversing over it or a lawn mower hitting the meter. This can result in reduced flow and pressure of water inside the dwelling. This can damage dishwashers, hot water heaters and washing machines.
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