Water pouring out now?
Don't run the test. Turn the water off at the toby, the shut-off valve near your boundary, and keep away from anything electrical that has got wet. Then see burst pipes or emergency plumbers.
Run the meter test yourself
Stop all water use
Turn off every tap. Make sure the washing machine, dishwasher, irrigation and toilet cisterns have finished filling.
Read the meter
Photograph the numbers and any small dial that turns when water flows.
Wait
Use no water at all for as long as you can manage. A longer wait gives a clearer answer.
Read it again
Compare it with your photo. Any movement means water is going somewhere.
What the result means
It moved. Water is leaving somewhere past the meter. Check the toilets first, because a cistern that keeps refilling can leak without a sound. If they're quiet, the leak may be inside a wall, under the floor or in the ground, which is a job for a leak detection specialist. A leak on the hot side costs energy too: Rheem says even a small one wastes a lot of hot water.
It didn't move. Nothing escaped while you watched. If the bill still looks wrong, ask your water provider to check the reading.
No meter? Not every home has one. Hamilton, for example, doesn't yet have city-wide residential meters. Listen for running water with everything off, look for damp patches, and ask a plumber to test the pipes.
Who fixes which pipe depends on where you live
Auckland. Watercare says a leak between your home and the meter needs a plumber, while a leak in the meter or on the street side should be reported to Watercare. It also says landlords must fix leaks on their property.
Christchurch. A leak on your property is yours to fix, because the council's responsibility stops at the boundary. The council owns the meter or toby box itself, even when it sits on your land.
Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua. Tiaki Wai says to get a plumber for a leak you've found or suspect, and to report faults on its network to Tiaki Wai.
Anywhere else, ask your water provider where its pipe ends before you book. Our locations pages name the provider for each place.
If the meter says there's a leak you can't find, we match you with a local plumber who specialises in tracking leaks down.