Water Leaks

Water leaks, both visible and hidden, are not just inconvenient, they can cost a lot of money in the long run. Find out how to detect and report a water leak on your property.

If you spot a water leak around town, don’t assume we know about it. Please let us know as soon as possible so we can get on with fixing it.

You can report the leak by calling our Customer Service Team on (07) 4747 3200 between the hours of 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Please note: After hours and weekends please call (07) 4747 3200 also to report a water leak.

Our Customer Service Representatives need as much detail as possible as to where the leak is and if it is in an unusual place, so please make sure you note the name of the street that the leak is on and, if possible, the closest house number.

What we need from you:

  • Location details (provide exact address, business name, street name, park name, suburb)
  • Where is the spill coming from? (front yard, back yard, manhole, pump station, bubbling out of the ground, pipe out of the ground)
  • Where is the spill going to? (Park, into a creek, river, stormwater, dry creek bed, drain, in the yard of house)
  • How much is spilling?
  • Does the spill water smell / contain any solids?
  • Are their people at the spill location? If so, how many?

A crew will then be dispatched to the location of the leak once the report has been received.

Leaks can be extremely wasteful and costly.  Regularly checking taps, pipes, and fittings around your property could save precious water and precious money.

  • A dripping tap uses 30 to 50 litres per day
  • A leaking pipe uses more than 7,000 litres per day
  • A leaking toilet uses 10 to 26 litres per day

Inside the home

Look in the kitchen, bathroom/s and laundry for dripping taps or leaking washing machine and dishwasher connections. Damp patches on the walls may also indicate a leak.

You can check your toilet cistern for leak by dropping a dye tablet or a few drops of food colouring in the tank. Do not flush, wait 10-15 minutes, and then look for colouring in the toilet bowl. If it’s getting through then you have a leak.

Outside the home

Look around your garden at:

  • Outdoor garden taps/hoses
  • Garden irrigation (including sprinklers)
  • Automatic solenoids and manual isolation valves
  • Exposed pipework
  • Hot water systems and air conditioning units
  • Look for damp, uneven brick paving and garden areas that may be moister and greener than expected.

How to check for underground leaks

  1. Turn off all taps on your property including the irrigation shut-off valve next to your water meter (if you have one)
  2. Make sure no one is using water
  3. Take a reading of the water meter
  4. Check to see if the far right hand dial on the water meter is moving
  5. Take another reading in one hour – this will be your leakage per hour
  6. If the reading has not changed, repeat the process with the irrigation shut-off valve open (if you have one)
  7. If the reading has changed or the dial is moving, contact a licensed plumber to locate and repair the leak.

If the self-check doesn’t indicate an underground leak and you believe the meter is faulty, you can contact the Customer Service Team or email the Water and Sewer Department to arrange to have the meter tested.Please note that a fee applies for this service