We find in summer more people have watermain leaks than any other time of the year.
Your watermain (the pipe underground that brings water from the street to your house) is not magical or indestructible - it’s just a pipe, plastic, galvanised or copper. When the ground dries out, it moves, cracks, and can cause pipes to stress and start leaking. For older homes the pipe used could be near the end of its lifespan and is more prone to leaking.
Would you know if you had a watermain leak?
1. Has your water bill increased? - Has your water bill been increasing recently or has Watercare notified you of high usage? Do note: readings often alternate between actual and estimated. Also if you have family and friends over for the holidays you’ll be using more water.
2. Can you see water seeping from the ground? - If you find a wet area of concrete or garden that doesn’t seem to be drying up, then chances are you have a watermain leak – time to check your water meter.
3. Is your water meter dial is turning around when no water is being used? - You can do a simple leak test on your water meter.
Step 1: Locate your water meter and check it is yours. If you’re stuck check your water bill for the meter number or call Watercare who can tell you where you should find the box.
Step 2: Find the right time when no one is going to use any water. Ideally 30min, or while you are at work or even overnight.
Step 3: Record the numbers in RED on the dial - these indicate 100's L / 10's L / 1L / and 0.1L as pictured. Then wait and read it again and compare the numbers. If the dial has turned and no one has been using water, then the water is running/leaking somewhere. See the photo below.
Step 4: Give us a call 0800426444
What do we do?
Locating the Source - Leak Detection
Leak Detection is just the buzz word for the process of using our flash equipment to pinpoint your watermian leak.
The ground microphone and rods allow us to literally listen to the ground for a pipe hissing water. We do this because we often find underground water leaks leak in one place and show up in another. Leak Detection equipment takes most of the guess work out of it – although sometimes for various reasons it’s not possible to locate the leak - thick concrete, ambient noise from busy roads/machinery etc, or it's too deep or leak is too small to hear it trickling.
Excavation / Repair / Reinstatement
It may be a simple dig up the garden and repair a piece of pipe. It may require us to cut a square in your concrete to get to the leaking pipe. Either way we can assist, make the repairs, and reinstate concrete and gardens.
In Conclusion
Hopefully your summer and especially your well-deserved holidays will be leak free. If they are not then we are here to assist. If you have questions or want more information let us know. Send us your details, photos, and we’ll help find a solution.