To ensure we measure your water demand accurately we use a range of different sized water meters. Meter sizes range from 15mm to 150mm.
Small meters
Can measure low flow accurately while still providing good pressure, however, they will struggle to cope with high demand which can result in low pressure or the meter breaking, causing costly maintenance and incorrect bills.
Large meters
These can provide large volumes of water quickly, but they aren’t good at detecting/measuring when a small amount of water is being used. They are also expensive to install and maintain.
There are meters that can measure water, and meters that can measure wastewater. Our team will read meters on alternate water sources to help calculate wastewater discharge. While most meters are mechanical, as technology has advanced there are now magnetic meters and smart meters. Smart loggers can also be installed on existing mechanical meters to get readings more frequently.
A list of all approved water meter types can be found in our code of practice. Below are some of the most common meters and what they are typically used for.
Our water meters all require backflow prevention devices. Backflow occurs when water goes through the meter but returns into our network. This can contaminate the public water supply, so it is important all connections have meters and that those meters aren't tampered with.
For low-risk sites, backflow prevention may be as simple as a non-return valve. For high-risk sites a special prevention device is required and must be tested annually.
Find out more about backflow prevention by clicking here.
If you get low water pressure at your property or want to increase the demand for our services, you may need to change your meter size. You - the property owner - are responsible for letting us know if the meter needs changing.
You can apply to change your meter size. Click here for more.
It is important for our Developer Services team to understand your water use patterns, such as whether you need a lot of water quickly (peak flow) or if you use it over time (average flow). We need this information so we can correctly assess what meter size is suitable for your site.