Ah – the dreaded utility bill. We always seems to forget that they’ll come every quarter, and when they do finally pop up in the letter box (especially after a very hot summer or a very cold winter) the figure that pops up can sometimes come as a surprise.
At least you’re not some of the unlucky few in Victoria, who have been hit with water bills as high as $22,000 – and no, that’s not a typo – due to water leaks. According to the Herald Sun, some households have won cost reductions after they were able to prove that the leaks were undetectable, but other homes weren’t so lucky. They risk being slammed with the full cost of the bull due to ignored plumbing problems.
A spokesman for EWOV, the ombudsmen for Victorian consumers and their energy and water companies, reiterated that it is the customer who is responsible for repair and excess water use costs for leaks within their property.
“The customer must take action to locate and fix the leak as soon as they become aware of it.”
A common example of undetected leaks is underground burst pipes with no visible sign of water loss.
According to Sydney Water, creating a program of regular checks and maintenance will help you to identify and avoid leaks. This program should include:
- checking for leaks from flush units in toilets, urinals, taps and showers
- identifying leaks in cooling towers, plants and equipment
- replacing washers and seals yearly.
However, if you are a business or corporation that has an additional services agreement, you can contact a Sydney Water representative, who will:
- ensure that your business has a Water Management Plan in place
- check your water meter by installing a continuous monitoring device to identify leaks
- recommend options to fix leaks
- run training and awareness for staff, including their roles and responsibilities in identifying and reporting leaks
- check that leaks have been fixed.
If you want to learn more about preventing undetected leaks have a look through our pipe relining page. If you’re after more plumbing and industry news, click here.
