Your water meter is essential for accurately measuring your water use.
Your water meter will generally be at the front of your property and is the connection between your house and the water main.
Whether you have a digital meter installed or rely on our meter readers to visit your property every three months - having clear access to your meter is important.
Overgrown plants, bushes and long grass can pose an issue for our meter readers. Make sure the area around your water meter is clear. You could use a cover like a water meter valve box to help with this.
Other tips to keep your water meter accessible:
- Keep your lawn trimmed and don't plant things close to your meter.
- If your water meter is in a garden bed make sure dirt or mulch aren't piled on top of it.
- If your water meter is in an area that fills with silt, water or other materials, clean the area regularly.
- Don't build things like brick letterboxes around or over your water meter.
- If your water meter is in a locked area, you can provide a key for our staff. All keys are held securely in our office and only taken out when reading the meter at your property. We can also relay special instructions to our team on your behalf. Contact our team on 1300 363 200 to make these arrangements.
- In rural areas, electric fences should be clearly marked and long grass maintained in paddock areas accessed by staff.
If staff cannot easily or safely access your water meter, an estimate of your water usage will be made to calculate your bill and you will need to provide us with a read to receive an accurate account.
It is important that our staff – as well as your pets – are safe if we visit your property.
If you have an animal that is protective, over-enthusiastic or can be aggressive, we need to know.
Ensure your pet is contained by appropriate fencing or tethers and that ‘beware of animal’ signage is clearly displayed.
It’s a good idea to let us know before we arrive. You can call us 1300 363 200 and ‘do not access’ advice will be loaded to our meter readers’ hand-held devices. In this instance, an estimate will be used to calculate your bill.
Pet owners can be fined or prosecuted if their animal attacks, bites or harasses people or other animals.
Check the top right hand corner of your latest bill to determine when a member of our team is due to read your meter.
For more information or to better understand your bill visit the Paying Your Account Page.
If you can’t locate your meter, you can call us on 1300 363 200.
If your water meter is damaged, you can call us on 1300 363 200.
In cold weather, the water inside your meter and pipes can freeze, causing them to burst. To stop them from freezing, cover your water meter with an upturned bucket or cardboard box.
Yes you can.
Most customers in our region now have a digital water meter installed. If this is the case, we ask you not to cover the meter with anything that may have metal in it, as it will disrupt the signal.
A stop tap is the tap located on top of your water meter. It controls the supply of water into your property and will be on the road side of your water meter.
If your water meter is located more than 2 metres past the front boundary, you will need to engage a plumber to repair any leaks on the stop tap.
For meters located within 2 metres of the boundary line, please contact us if your stop tap is leaking.
Our Digital Metering program is continuing to be rolled out across our region, improving leak detection and accuracy.
Meter readings can be submitted by emailing a photo to coliban@coliban.com.au or you can contact us during business hours on 1300 363 200. Please make sure you have the have recorded the serial number of the meter, directly above the display window.
A good way to understand your water use is to monitor it to see which activities use the most water.
You can do this by regularly reading your water meter and recording how you're using water each day.
If you're making big changes at your property, you may need to move your meter.
If you're relocating a drinking water meter less than 60 cm from its current location, a licensed plumber can do this work. However, if your area also receives recycled water, you will need to apply via our website.
If you are relocating a drinking or recycled water meter more than 60 cm from its current location, you need to submit an online application form to amend an connection on our website at coliban.com.au