Access to your meter

It's important to keep your meter clear and accessible. 

Our meter readers visit your property every two months to take a reading from your water meter. If we can’t access your meter, your water use may be estimated. 

We need access to your meter not only to read it, but also to repair and maintain it. 

You can help make this easier for us by: 

• keeping surrounding plants trimmed 
• clearing excess sand and mulch 
• ensuring that landscaping such as paving and decking are not covering the meter 
• ensuring that any dogs on the property are secured away from the meter area 
• installing a Western Australian Services (WAS) Lock or remote access device 
• applying for a meter relocation. 

Please be aware that under the Water Services Act 2012, it’s your legal responsibility to ensure your water meter is clear and safe to access. 

If you need help finding your water meter, you can use our property water rates search tool to check where your meter is located. 

Your meter and your dog

The safety of our work crews is important to us. We kindly ask that if you have a dog, please ensure they are secured away from the meter area so that your meter can be accessed safely. 

If there's an unrestrained dog within reach of the meter area, our meter reader and repair crews won’t enter your property. 

Keeping your water meter clear and accessible

The area around your water meter should be 30 centimetres (cm) clear, and have at least 120 cm of open air above:

• If we aren't able to access your meter easily, we'll let you know and ask that you clear the meter.
• If you don’t do this, we may issue you with a compliance notice.
• If the obstruction still remains after the compliance notice is issued, we may remove the obstruction or relocate the meter at a cost to you (under the Water Services Act 2012).

Water meters located behind locked gates

Install a WAS lock

We might not be able to access your meter if it’s located behind a locked gate. If you’d like to provide access but also want to maintain security, you can install a Western Australian Services (WAS) lock. 

WAS locks are padlocks that only ourselves, Western Power, Synergy and Alinta Gas have keys for. They are available from licensed locksmiths and security suppliers. 

If you install a WAS lock, please contact us on 13 13 85 so we can let our meter readers know.

Request a remote access device

A remote access device is an electronic device that is fitted to the meter. It allows us to get your water use reading remotely, using a handheld Bluetooth device from outside the property boundary.  

It’s a good option if your water meter is in a courtyard or enclosed area, if you have a dog or if you are providing self-reads regularly.

Remote access devices are only available for the metro, and not in country regions.

Please note: This is not a smart meter. With a remote access device, you won’t have access to the same water use data available with a smart meter in your online account.

To request a remote access device, please call us on (08) 9423 7134 and we can make arrangements. The cost to install a device is $200.33.