Daily water usage?

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Bung

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#3424513 12-Oct-2025 20:30

Often toilet cisterns leak a small amount continuously after flushing. Some food colouring in the tank will make it easier to check.

k1w1k1d

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#3424517 12-Oct-2025 22:09

My reading of this Kent water meter

The 34 at the right end of the readout in red is 340litres. The 4 has moved slightly towards 5 in the second photo indicating less than 10 litres has been used.

The needle on the top right rotary dial has moved from 1 to 5. This dial is calibrated for x0.001m3, which is 1litre/division, so about 4 litres have been used in the 2 hours.

This would be about 50 litres per day.

If she is being charged for 150 litres per day, then 1/3 of that could be leakage?

Goosey

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#3424525 13-Oct-2025 06:20

I’d be checking the toilet, those rubber seals on the flush probally wearing thin. Don’t forget the shower mixer….
And/or is the hot water over boiling?

any outdoor hoses left “on” at the tap but off at the nozzle? (Including irrigation)?

allio

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#3424851 14-Oct-2025 12:41

Bung:

Often toilet cisterns leak a small amount continuously after flushing. Some food colouring in the tank will make it easier to check.

Can confirm that just one toilet doing this adds up to a whopping nasty surprise on the monthly bill. Thanks, landlord who told me it was normal...

kiwifidget

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#3424891 14-Oct-2025 16:15

Hmmm could be a leaky toilet.

I'll check those out next time I'm visiting.

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mattwnz

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#3424902 14-Oct-2025 16:37

Usually new meters have a water leak indicator on them that spins slowly if there is any leak when nothing is using water. If you video the meter for a minute you can usually see it spinning if you scrub through the video.

My local council also reduced the free annual allocation it provides. It seems to be a way to increase their revenue, by reducing what they expect people to use. It is ironic considering the councils own leaking infrastructure uses about 50% of the water, and this results in water restrictions in the summer. Yet they blame people for using too much. Although I think the concept of metering is good, in terms of preventing people wasting it, I was always against it because it is a way for councils, and now water entities, to make more and more money off people. I also think that if people ever do have a leak and end up with a big bill, that that bill should always be wiped if they show that it was from a leak and has been fixed. Often leaks are outside the persons control, and I don't think insurance would cover such a fee.

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kiwifidget

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#3440321 5-Dec-2025 09:31

Update: I discovered last month that the external loo (for tradies and avo pickers) was ever so slightly releasing water into the bowl.

Plumber was duly dispatched to remedy.

Yesterday I took a 11am and 5pm reading, while we were out, and there was no movement on the meter!

Thanks everyone for the advice.

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