This article discusses faulty water sub-meter responsibility, outlining whether a body corporate is responsible for investigating and resolving sudden unexplained increases in water usage in strata schemes.
Question: My latest water bill shows a marked uptick in water usage although my daily habits haven’t changed.
My latest water bill shows a marked uptick in water usage. I am a single pensioner and my daily habits haven’t changed. I took readings over a 5-hour period that indicated no leaks. I believe my water sub-meter is faulty. The body corporate won’t discuss the usage. The sub-meters to individual lots are located in a cupboard on the common property . Are they the body corporate’s responsibility? What do I do now?
Answer: If the meter reading and changes to resident behaviour don’t seem to be the issue, the meter needs to be considered.
There are various points of failure when recording water usage. These can be behavioural or technical. The first thing to consider is the meter type and how the data to bill you is recorded.
The first thing to consider is whether there has been an incorrect reading used in the preparation of your bill. You can probably check this easily enough. In this instance, it sounds like residents have access to the water meter cupboard, so the latest meter reading value presented on your bill should be within a reasonable difference to the reading on your meter. If not, then let the service provider responsible for managing your account know of the excessive difference and ask for your bill to be reissued using the accurate reading. Usually, your service provider will be able to assist you with whether your daily usage is within normal limits and, using information you supply, be able to understand whether the high usage is developing into an ongoing issue. If the meter reading and changes to resident behaviour don’t seem to be the issue, the meter needs to be considered.
A faulty water meter can exhibit various behaviours, and the issues can depend on the type and design of the meter. One of the most apparent signs of a faulty water meter is inaccurate readings. If you notice a sudden and unexplained increase or decrease in your water bill, it may indicate a problem with the meter. As water flows through a traditional water meter an internal wheel spins, recording the amount of water flowing through the meter. If the wheel continues to spin even when no water is being used, it may suggest a leak in the meter or the water supply line. In digital water meters, the display should stop when water is not being used. If the display continues to register flow even when all water fixtures are turned off, it could be a sign of a malfunction. As you have performed this test and found no leaks, I request this test be performed by the body corporate to satisfy their own enquiry into the integrity of the meter.
Internal components of a water meter can become stuck or jammed, leading to inaccurate readings or a complete failure of the meter. When this happens, the meters typically don’t become unstuck or jammed, so you could expect continued inaccurate readings. A faulty water meter can develop leaks over time. If you see water around the meter, it may indicate a problem. Leaks can affect the accuracy of the meter readings and waste a lot of water. Like any mechanical device, water meters can wear out over time. If your water meter is old, it may be more prone to malfunction. Manufacturers typically provide an expected lifespan for their meters. This would need another integrity test to understand the likelihood of failure.
The Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland (EWOQ) investigates residential customer complaints when water is sold to them by Unity water (SEQ – north), Queensland Urban Utilities (SEQ – central), Gold Coast City Council, Logan City Council or Redland City Council.
This helpful response assumes the body corporate is responsible for on-selling water that has been supplied to the whole site by one of the above water authorities to residents. Depending on the age of your building, you may be at the precipice of a community wide water issue and it will be to the benefit of the whole scheme to investigate. When your body corporate issues water bills, you have a responsibility to try to resolve the dispute with the committee first. Under the dispute resolution process for residents living in a community managed under the BCCMA it is recommended that in the first instance you contact your body corporate and, if unresolved, the Office of the Commissioner of Body Corporate and Community Management. Your strata manager should assist you with moving through the steps to resolution and more information on how to reach resolution prior to reaching out to the Commissioner’s Office can be found on the Queensland Government website: Self resolution for disputes.
The steps as listed there as
- communicating with the other person (preferably in writing, as this may be needed as evidence of self-resolution later)
- presenting a motion to the committee
- presenting a motion to a general meeting.
You may need to try all of these, depending on who your dispute is with, what it is about and how hard it is to resolve.
This post appears in Strata News #682.
Sarah Price
Altogether Group
E: sprice@altogethergroup.com.au
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