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Every property owner in Western Water's service area receives a water account every four months. The account will include both water access and usage charges.
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Your water meter measures the amount of water that enters your property, in kilolitres. Western Water calculates your water usage charges by reading the meter every four months. This information is then used to calculate your water account.
It is important that your meter is well maintained to help us provide you with an accurate water account.
Meter accessibility
Your water meter is usually located in the ground at the front of your property, close to your front garden tap. It is important that your water meter is accessible to our Western Water's contracted meter readers. It only takes a few moments to read your meter, however this simple job can be made difficult when access is not provided.
You can help maintain access to your meter by:
- Trimming long grass and pruning overgrown plants in the vicinity of your meter
- Avoiding concreting around or building over the top of your meter
How your meter works
Water flows through the supply pipe into a measuring chamber inside your meter. The water flow turns a wheel connected by cogs that register usage via the dials on the face of your meter.
The type of water meter you have and its appearance may vary between properties. However, the brand of meter is not important, as all meters measure the water passing through.
How to read your own meter
You may like to read your own meter to see how much water you use, or to confirm that the meter reading on your water account is accurate. You can also read your water meter if you suspect your property has a water leak (see self-test below).
The dial on the most common type of meter is divided into two brackets - kilolitres and litres. There is a row of up to eight or nine figures on a white background behind glass on your meter. Some numbers are black, while others are red. The black numbers register kilolitres of water. The red numbers show your water consumption in litres.
In the diagram below, the four numerals on the left hand side are kilolitres and the four numerals on the right hand side are litres. So, the reading in this diagram is 1,234 kilolitres and 567.8 litres. There are 1,000 litres in one kilolitre.
Western Water only uses kilolitres to calculate your water usage charges. To check if your water account is accurate, compare the black numbers on your meter to those on the back of your account.
For more information on your water meter click here to download the fact sheet.
To calculate your household's average daily water consumption, record all numbers on your water meter. In 14 days time, at the same time of day, record the number again. Subtract the first reading from the latter and divide this figure by 14, which is the number of days between readings. This figure is your average daily water consumption in litres.
You can view your previous and current meter readings on the back of your water account, along with your water usage in kilolitres for the current billing period.
My bill is too high
If you receive a bill which you believe is too high, you should conduct a self test on your meter first to ensure that you do not have any undetected leaks on your property.
Record all of the numbers on your meter and then ensure that no water is used over a reasonable period of time (overnight is a good time to do this test). When the time has elapsed, take a second reading. If there is a water leak on your property, the meter reading will have changed and you may have a leaking pipe, tap, toilet cistern or other appliance or fitting. The difference between the first and second readings will show you how much water has passed through the meter during the period that no water was being used.
Also by detecting leaks early and arranging a licensed plumber to undertake repairs, you will reduce water wastage and save money.
Testing your meter
From time to time, Western Water will test the meter at your property. We will periodically replace the meter at our expense to ensure that it continues to be accurate.
The accuracy of your meter can be independently tested upon request, for a set fee. Prior to applying for a meter test, it is recommended that you conduct a self-test to rule out the possibility of a water leak and therefore avoid the expense of an unnecessary meter test.
Your meter will be tested by a method approved by the National Standards Commission. If the test shows your meter to be reading above the set standards, Western Water will replace the meter at our expense and refund or credit any overcharging to you.
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