If you’ve noticed a spike in your regular water bill, it may due to a leak somewhere in your home. Did you know that a leaking toilet alone can waste 25 litres a day or 9,125 litres a year! A simple two‐minute leak test will determine if you have any leaks in your home.
Before you test
- Ensure no water is being used e.g. appliances are not running / evaporative air conditioning is off
- Check that toilets have not been recently flushed
- All irrigation is off
- That your stop tap is turned on to see if any water is passing through the meter. A stop tap is used to control the water supply to the property. It is located on the roadside of the meter and houses will find this located outside, while for units or apartments, it may be near your front door or in a service cupboard. You can usually find your water meter located at the front of your property.
- Make sure the meter number on the back of your water bill matches the badge number on the meter
Steps
- Right down your current meter
- Wait for two‐minutes and write out the meter again
- Watch the dials to see if they are moving at this stage on your meter
Results
- A small leak = If the numbers are slightly different and the dials move marginally. Check your appliances and taps.
- Major leak = If the numbers are significantly different and the dials move rapidly. Contact a licensed plumber to investigate further.
- Unlikely leak = If the numbers stay the same and the dials do not move.
References: Yarra Valley Water. (n.d.). ‘Check for leaks.’ Available at: https://www.yvw.com.au/faults-works/leaks/check-leaks
Switch Your Thinking. 2020. ‘Water.’ Available at: https://www.switchyourthinking.com/ways-to-switch/water/