Te kite me te pānui i taku ine wai
Find and read my water meter
It’s handy to know where your water meter is so you can track your water use, detect a leak or report your meter reading to us.
Most homes have their own water meter, but finding and understanding them can sometimes be tricky. We're here to guide you through the process of locating, opening and understanding the numbers.
What a water meter can show you
There are plenty of great reasons to check your meter:
- To know how much water you’re using
- To detect any leaks
- If you’re moving in or out of the property
It can also be helpful when your Watercare meter reader arrives so you can point them in the right direction.
Head outside and find your water meter
Water meters are usually at the front of a property, near the left or right boundary. In flats or apartments, there may be only one meter for all the dwellings in each building.
Water meters are in the ground, in a box made of timber, plastic, concrete or metal. The lid is usually blue or black. Simply lift the lid to peer inside.
If you can’t find it, it could be because gardens are overgrown. We recommend that you keep the box as clear as possible, for your own access as well as ours.
Watercare meter readers and access
Our meter readers need to access your water meter every other month, so please make sure it’s not overgrown or covered.
If you have locked gates, or dogs on the property, this could naturally be a problem for our meter readers. So please let us know if this is the case.
If you’re not sure which meter is linked to your property
Firstly, you can check that the serial number on your water meter matches the one on your bill (look at page two on the bill under ‘consumption details’).
You can also carry out a simple test using your Watercare bill and kitchen tap. Give it a go!
How to read your meter
When you’re inside the box, simply lift the lid – you should see a meter dial.
Most water meters are ‘digital metric’ and look something like this:
You only need to read the black numbers on the white background. These show the amount of water you use in kilolitres (1000 litres). We charge per kilolitre.
You can ignore the white numbers on the red background as these show amounts less than a kilolitre.
Reading a smart meter
If you have a smart meter, note down all the numbers before and after the decimal point.
Other types of meters
Other types of meters
Some meters have a different number of digits showing on the dial.
Related content
Learn the steps you can take to check whether you have a leak on your property.
Knowing your responsibilities for things like bill payments and potential repairs is crucial. We’re here to help you understand your obligations so you can plan next steps with confidence.
Ownership of water and wastewater pipes passes from Watercare to your rental property at the point of supply. Here’s how to pinpoint where that is on your rental property.