If a pipe bursts under your house at 11pm, the first thing you'll wish you knew is where the water meter is. Knowing how to turn it off can stop thousands of dollars of damage in the time it takes to find an emergency plumber.
Where it usually sits
In most Hervey Bay homes, the meter is near the front boundary, often at the corner of the property closest to the street. Look for a rectangular plastic or concrete box flush with the ground. Older Pialba and Scarness homes sometimes have the meter inside a small concrete pit with a metal lid. Newer Eli Waters and Urraween estates often have it tucked into the garden bed near the footpath.
If you can't see anything obvious, check your Wide Bay Water bill. It shows the meter number and sometimes a hint about location.
How to turn it off
Lift the lid (it can be heavy on older meters, a flathead screwdriver helps). Inside you'll see a meter dial and a tap or lever right next to it. Turn the tap clockwise, or push the lever flat. Water to the whole house stops within seconds.
It's worth doing this once now, before there's an emergency. Some valves haven't been moved in years and seize up. If yours won't turn, call a plumber to replace it. A stuck mains valve is the worst thing to discover at 2am.
Other things the meter tells you
If everything in the house is off and the meter dial is still ticking, you've got a leak somewhere. That's the easiest leak detection test going. We've used it dozens of times in Hervey Bay homes to confirm an underground pipe leak before we dig.