Water Metering
A water meter is a device installed on a water connection or pipe to measure the quantity of water flowing through.
On all of Council's water supplies, bulk meters constantly record the amount of water abstracted (taken from the water sources). The information gathered from these meters:
- Helps us to monitor our supplies
- Helps us to determine whether there are any leaks in the pipework
- Is used to check water pump performance and power efficiency
- Is used to confirm that we are not exceeding the maximum water abstraction levels set by the regional councils.
Council's metering policy
Council's policy is to meter all extraordinary (non-domestic) and extra-territorial water connections in the urban, Central Eastern and Ngongotaha supplies.
All water connections to the rural supplies are metered.
Meters are calibrated to measure within specific limits of accuracy but this accuracy diminishes over time. Council has adopted a policy of replacing meters every 15 years.
Future metering
Council has no plans to meter domestic consumers in the Rotorua urban area.
How to read a water meter
- A meter has a dial similar to the odometer of a car and measures volume in cubic metres.
- Most dials have a series of black and red numbers.
- The black numbers are whole cubic metres; these are recorded by the meter reader.
- The red numbers indicate parts of a cubic metre; there may be up to 4 red numbers.
Checking for a leak
If your metered water readings are higher than usual, check your meter. If the numbers are spinning around on the dial, a lot of water is being used.
Determine which side of the meter the leak is on. If the leak is on your property, you should call a plumber. If it is on Council's side (from the road to the meter), call Council and we will arrange for it to be fixed, free of charge.
You can check for a leak by turning all taps off before you go to bed one night and taking a meter reading. Check the meter the next morning before any water is used. If the meter reading has advanced, and no-one used any water during the night, you may have a leaking pipe, tap or toilet cistern.
