Metered supplies
About water meters
Where Council considers water use is unusually high for any property on an On-Demand supply, it may install a meter at the property owner's cost and charge for any extra water used. Meters are supplied, installed and maintained by the Council, and remain the property of the Council.
They are usually located in a position where they are easily accessible for reading and maintenance, and if possible, immediately on the Council side of the point of supply.
Metered water rates
All water supply customers, including those with water meters, are charged a Water Supply Charge through the property rating process. Customers with a water meter may also receive a separate Water Meter Bill, depending on the volume of water used during the rating year.
Each water supply with metered connections has a calculated Rate Credit specific to that supply. The Rate Credit is the volume of water that can pass through a customer's water meter within a rating year, before a Water Meter Bill is sent.
The Rate Credit volume is calculated by dividing the Water Supply Charge ($/year) by the Meter Rate ($/m3) for the water supply. Once the Rate Credit volume has passed through a customer's meter within a rating year, any additional water is charged at the Meter Rate. For more information please visit Meter rates page.
When an invoice for metering is higher than you were expecting
As the costs of treating and delivering water to consumers increases, so does the price charged for water. If you receive an invoice for more than you expected, there may have been an increase in the price per unit of water and /or the water supply rate may have dropped so the 'rate credit' may be less. Or it may be that the property water usage has increased.
When our contractors read meters they take note of any significantly higher-than-usual readings. If this happens on your meter, they will leave you a 'calling card' to alert you to the higher reading so you can investigate whether there are any problems you are unaware of (such as a leaking pipe).
If you think the meter is giving an inaccurate reading
If you think there may be a problem with the accuracy of your meter, you can have it tested by Council (provided three months has elapsed since the last test).
If the test shows the meter is not reading accurately (based on the error rate set out in section 9.13 of the Water Supply Bylaw), you won't need to pay for the cost of the testing. If the meter is over-reading or under-reading, Council will adjust your invoices in accordance with the provisions of the bylaw.
Water leaks on your property
Council owns the pipe work up to, and including, the meter on a property. It does not have responsibility for any pipe or fittings from the meter to the house or building, so any leaks (and therefore water usage costs) on this side of the meter are the responsibility of the property owner.
Council believes this is the fairest way because the cost of treating and pumping the water 'lost' as a result of the leak is recovered through the consumer, rather than being passed on to the rest of the community. If you have a metered supply, it pays to check for any water leaks to avoid being charged for extra water use.
If you have sold your property
If you have sold your property, you must give us five working days' notice before you require a final meter reading.