Working near meters and manholes

Keep them clean and clear

Water meters and maintenance holes are critical pieces of infrastructure.

We need to be able to easily access meters and maintenance holes so that we can accurately bill our customers, properly inspect and maintain our sewer network and quickly respond to faults or emergencies.

Sometimes they're located on private property, so we rely on property owners to keep them well maintained.

Any work around meters and maintenance holes should be done with caution. You are liable for the cost of repairing any damage.

Meter Reading wiping face of water meter to take a reading at residential property

Building or landscaping near:

Where are they?

Woman checking water meter A standard water meter is normally found at the front of the property, on the left or right corner of the boundary. Most meters are above, at or below ground level with a plastic or metal lid.

Read our Meter Reading FAQs for more.

Please contact us if you need help locating your water meter. If the exact location cannot be determined over the phone, you can request a Unitywater staff member to come to your property and locate the meter.

Please do:

check the meter reader can easily read the meter
check it can be easily accessed
make sure the lid can be easily removed
trim nearby grass, shrubs and trees.

Please don't:

let grass, shrubs or trees cover the meter
let grass, sand or dirt build up around the meter or meter box
damage the meter or meter box (eg, with a lawnmower or shovel).

Moving a water meter

You may request to have your water meter:

converted from above ground to below ground

box raised or lowered

moved horizontally (relocation).

To have your meter moved, please submit the following application via the Development Portal.

Submit a Connection Services Application

Unitywater maintenance manhole

Where are they?

Maintenance holes are positioned at regular intervals throughout the sewer network, approximately every 100 metres, or wherever there is a change in grade, direction or materials in the sewerage system.
They allow us to:

inspect sewers by closed circuit television
clean pipes
clear blockages
inspect infrastructure.

If a maintenance hole is on your property, it is your responsibility to maintain the area around it.

Please do:

check the maintenance hole can be easily accessed
keep free of any obstructions
trim nearby grass, shrubs and trees.

Please don't:

lower, raise or move the maintenance hole (you need approval and Unitywater must do these works)
cover or bury with dirt, rocks, statues, pot plants etc.
damage or attempt to lift the lid.

Lowering or raising a maintenance hole

Due to movements in the soil around maintenance holes, we sometimes need to raise or lower a maintenance hole to keep it level with the ground.

To have the height of a maintenance hole adjusted, please submit the following application via the Development Portal.

Submit a Connection Services Application

Meters

The property owner is responsible for: maintaining the area around the water meter, ensuring access is provided for meter readers, monitoring water usage and investigating leakage on private property.
Unitywater is responsible for maintenance of the meter itself.

Further information about the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008

Under the Act, Unitywater retains ownership of the water meter after installation, regardless of its position or location.

Under the Act, Unitywater can direct property owners to maintain the area around a water meter, when the water meter is within the property boundary.

In some cases, the water meter is located outside the property boundary and is situated on the footpath or reserve, which is land owned by the State Government.

These footpath/reserve areas, although owned by the State Government, are controlled and maintained by the Sunshine Coast Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council and Noosa Council, and as such the State Government may request the respective council undertake the maintenance.

In these circumstances, it would be reasonable to request that the State Government maintain the area around the water meter.

Maintenance holes

According to the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008, it is an offence to interfere with a public sewer or maintenance hole, and penalties may apply.