Urban Utilities' one-hour meter test
Turn everything off
Every tap inside and out, plus anything that fills itself, like a pool or tank top-up.
Write down the numbers
Note every digit on the meter, the red ones included. Leave the valve at the meter alone.
Wait an hour
Use no water at all for at least an hour. That means no toilet flushes either.
Read it again
Turning dials or higher numbers may mean a leak. If nothing moved, keep an eye on the next bill. In a unit with no meter of your own, ask Urban Utilities how to check.
Leaks in Brisbane homes
Signs Urban Utilities points to
Wet patches or unusually green grass in the yard, cracked pavers, and water around the meter, the solar hot water system or the pool heater.
Things that top themselves up
A rainwater tank that draws on mains water has an auto top-up valve, and so do many pools. If either sticks open, it can run all day without you noticing.
Your pipe may start past the fence
Urban Utilities owns the meter and the pipes leading back to the main. The meter itself can sit outside the boundary, in the footpath or on common property, and the pipe from it to the house is the owner's.
Low pressure isn't always a leak
Most homes built after 2005 have a pressure reduction valve with a blue handle, usually at the side of the house. Urban Utilities says it's easily bumped, which can drop the pressure or cut the water.
Help with the water bill
Urban Utilities offers financial assistance with the cost of water lost to a concealed leak. The leak has to be fixed by a licensed plumber, and you apply with a copy of their invoice showing the repair. Owner-occupiers, landlords and pensioners can be eligible. In a community titles scheme where units share one main meter, the body corporate applies for everyone.
On top of that, the Queensland Government's SEQ Bulk Water Concealed Leak Remission Scheme takes 70% off the State Bulk Water Charge part of the leak cost, or 100% for eligible pensioners, since 2 August 2023. It defines a concealed leak as an underground leak with no visible signs. Both forms of help are on the water charges, and Urban Utilities' Concealed Leak Policy sets the full rules for its own.
Had your meter worked on lately? If a leak on your side could reasonably have come from Urban Utilities' meter work in the last four months, contact Urban Utilities rather than a private plumber. It investigates and, if the claim is accepted, repairs the leak.
Repairing what the plumber finds
Brisbane City Council treats repairing a broken or damaged pipe as minor work: it needs a licensed plumber but no permit. A leak in the street, or at the meter, goes to Urban Utilities instead. If it seems to sit between your boundary and the meter, ask Urban Utilities whose it is before booking the repair.
Hidden leaks in walls, slabs and pools are covered in our guides to hidden leaks and high water bills.
Questions for a Brisbane leak specialist
- How will you narrow it down before anything is opened up?
- Will your invoice clearly show the leak was found and repaired, for Urban Utilities?
- Is the leak on my side of the meter, and is it concealed by Urban Utilities' definition?
- Can you check the tank or pool top-up valve while you're here?
What we would do
Run the meter test tonight. If the dials move, book a leak specialist straight away: Urban Utilities' help depends on the repair happening within a month of finding the leak. Ask for an invoice that names the leak, where it was and what was repaired, then apply. If Urban Utilities touched your meter in the last four months, ring it before anyone else.