Leak between the water meter and the house: who fixes it?

Locate the supply boundary before allocating the repair

For a suspected private supply-pipe problem, arrange leak detection with the meter location and symptoms ready. Watercare defines the water point of supply as the outlet of the meter fitting closest to the private pipe. The owner’s responsibility starts there, whether the meter is inside or outside the property boundary. A leak downstream of that point belongs on the private side of the supply arrangement.

Watercare is responsible for pipes, meters and other network assets on its side of the point of supply. If water is appearing at the meter box or you cannot tell which side is leaking, report the location to Watercare and ask it to establish the relevant boundary. Describe what you can see rather than deciding ownership from the nearest fence or the edge of the footpath.

A shared driveway or a master-meter arrangement needs particular attention. Watercare’s responsibility guidance includes examples for private roads, multi-meter boxes and master meters with subsidiary meters. Ask which example fits the property and identify the private supply route before agreeing repair responsibilities. Keep any available service plan and ownership correspondence together, especially where more than one household needs access to the affected area.

Finding who must maintain the pipe and deciding who pays within a tenancy or shared property are separate conversations. Notify the owner, property manager or relevant shared-property contact promptly and keep the repair information in writing. The rental plumbing responsibility guide explains the tenancy side, while the physical supply boundary remains the starting point for deciding whether Watercare or a private contractor handles the pipe.

Use the meter test to establish unexplained water use

Watercare recommends checking meter readings, estimated bills and changed water use before concluding that a high bill comes from a leak. Compare the reading with the bill and consider recent guests, garden watering or other changes. An actual bill following estimated bills can be a catch-up rather than evidence of a new pipe fault. Write down what you checked so the contractor can follow the sequence.

For the household leak test, Watercare advises recording the meter reading, using no water for at least four hours and then comparing the reading again. An increase suggests a likely leak. Pick a period when nobody will run taps, flush toilets or use water-consuming equipment. Tell everyone at the property what is happening so ordinary use does not confuse the result.

This household test measures water passing through the meter; it does not locate the escape. Watercare suggests checking taps, toilets, areas behind washing appliances, the hot-water-cylinder relief discharge and damp outdoor patches. Use the home leak checking guide to organise those observations. Give the detector the test readings and visible symptoms rather than instructing them to excavate a particular wet patch.

Use this practical sequence for a suspected concealed leak. If the issue is active damage rather than unexplained consumption, describe that when requesting help so the immediate response can be arranged first. Keep the meter test distinct from a formal accuracy test of the meter itself.

1. Check the bill type and meter reading, and note any recent changes in household water use.
2. Record the starting meter reading and the time, then arrange a period with no water use.
3. Wait at least four hours, record the ending reading and note any accidental water use during the test.
4. Check the visible locations Watercare recommends and send the results with the request for investigation.

Agree detection, repair and reinstatement as separate tasks

Give the contractor a clear brief: water appears to be escaping on the private supply side, the location is unresolved, and you need an investigation before a repair scope is agreed. Include the meter photographs, reading times, service plan and any earlier work records. Mention paving, gardens and access restrictions so the first attendance is planned around the actual property.

Ask what the initial investigation aims to establish and what evidence you will receive. Request a location description or marked photograph where appropriate, an explanation of the findings and a proposed next action. Agree who can authorise further work if the first approach leaves the location unresolved. That arrangement keeps the job moving while preserving a clear boundary between investigation and repair.

For plumbing repairs, follow the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board’s advice to check the tradesperson’s current practising licence and the authorisation relevant to the work. Ask the repair proposal to identify the pipe section, materials, access work and completion checks. Confirm who will reinstate the disturbed surface and whether that work is included or needs a separate contractor.

A meter accuracy concern goes to Watercare. Under its customer contract, a customer can request testing if they believe the meter records inaccurately. Watercare says it will replace a water meter that is not working correctly at no cost to the customer, but charges for testing when the meter is working correctly. Ask Watercare about that process rather than treating unexplained consumption alone as proof of a faulty meter.

Keep repair evidence and check the leak allowance terms

Watercare offers an eligible leak allowance as a partial credit on the account. Its published guidance says eligibility includes fixing the leak within twenty-one days of receiving its high-use notification, or fixing it before that notification arrives. Keep the notification and repair dates together. Start the application conversation promptly after repair rather than waiting for a later bill to remind you.

Watercare lists reasons an application can be declined, including an application received more than three months after repair, repeat applications for the property within the last two years, and high use attributed to activities such as pool filling, irrigation or exterior cleaning. Read the current full terms with the application; approval depends on Watercare’s assessment of the particular claim.

Ask the contractor for a repair record identifying the property, the fault found, where the repair was made and when it was completed. Keep invoices, photographs and meter observations together, and use the application form to confirm the evidence Watercare wants. After the work, discuss how normal water use will be checked and who should be contacted if the unexplained consumption continues.

When contacting Stately about leak detection, send the meter test results, location photographs and any notification from Watercare. Ask for a defined investigation scope and an approval point before repair or surface disturbance. Keep the investigation and repair records with the allowance application so the physical repair, account query and any shared-property discussion are supported by the same clear timeline.