Pressure that splits pipes
Alice Springs Town Council says the town is lucky to have pretty good water pressure, but high pressure can split garden irrigation lines and blow dripper heads off their fittings. Its suggested fix is a pressure reducer on the tap before the irrigation connection. Our water pressure page covers pressure problems inside the house.
The council's three-step leak check
Turn everything off
No showers, no washing machine, and the irrigation off.
Read the meter
Write down or photograph the numbers.
Wait, then read again
Give it at least 15 minutes, better an hour. If the numbers have moved, you probably have a leak: contact a licensed plumber, or see hidden leaks.
NT licensing in plain terms
Territory plumbing licences come from a Board set up under the Plumbers and Drainers Licensing Act 1983, which can grant, suspend or cancel them. Section 38 makes it unlawful to do or contract for plumbing without a plumber's licence, or drainage without a drainer's, paid or not.
Section 39 leaves a small gap for owners who live on the land: they may fix or swap a fitting that's already part of an approved cold water installation, provided the replacement is no lower in standard and the installation keeps substantially the same function and position. Water heaters with an electric element don't count as cold water installations.
Alice Springs facts
Council owns the drains
Alice Springs Town Council owns and maintains verges, laneways, roads, stormwater pits and drainage easements, and work on council land needs its Permit to Work within the Road Reserve first.
Solar hot water subsidy
The council's Green Living Subsidy lists residential solar hot water systems among eligible items. Check its current conditions before you buy.
Housing mix
At the 2021 Census, 64.2% of occupied homes in the Alice Springs Town Council area were separate houses and 27.9% townhouses or semis. 43.2% were rented, against 47.6% across the NT.
Paperwork and hot water
When plumbing or drainage is a standalone job, the NT Building Regulations want it reported to the NT building Director inside 7 days, together with the practitioner's certificate that it complies. Ask the plumber who will lodge that.
Store hot water at 60°C or above: the Australian Building Codes Board says that significantly reduces Legionella growth. STCs, a federal scheme, can lower the price of an eligible heat pump or solar water heater until 2030. We haven't confirmed the NT's tempering valve rules, so ask the plumber. See solar hot water and the Northern Territory page.
What we would do
If the water bill jumps, run the council's meter test before calling anyone, then walk the irrigation lines and drippers, where high pressure does most of its damage. Unless you own the home, live there and the job fits the section 39 gap, use a licensed plumber and check their number with the licensing Board.