Reading your meter

Water meters encourage people to conserve water. They have led to a 25 percent reduction in water use throughout the district since installation, much like other areas of the country which have introduced them.

About your meter

Your meter is housed in a box with a blue or black lid, on the street side of your property – often with your house toby. The meter is a small cylinder with a counter unit on the top for measuring the volume of water that passes through it.

The meters are highly accurate, certified to international OIML R49 standards, and tested before installation.

They have a small round dial unit with a red arrow below the counter. When the arrow on this dial is moving, water is passing through the meter and being used on your property.

You can use the meter to work out:

• how much water you are using now
• check whether there is a leak on your property.

How to read your meter

You can watch our video to see how to read your meter and manage water use around your home, or use the diagram below.

• The white numbers on the BLACK background on your water meter, count in cubic meters. This is the reading your water invoice is based on.
• The white numbers on the RED background on your water meter count in hundreds and tens of litres. Use these numbers to track daily use.
• The small dial with the red arrow counts in litres.
• The small white disc in the middle of your water meter spins as water flows through the meter. It’s useful for detecting leaks – if it’s spinning when all the taps are off and the cisterns are full, you may have a leak.

Video: Household water use and savings

Estimating your water usage and costs

Once you know how to read your meter, follow the steps below.