Leak detection in Brisbane: Urban Utilities' concealed leak policy

Urban Utilities’ concealed leak policy is among the most generous of the schemes read for this site, and also one of the narrowest. It refunds most of the water charges a hidden leak runs up — but only for leaks underground, between the meter and the house. A leak inside the walls of the house is not a concealed leak under this policy, however hidden it was.

The concealed leak policy, in one table

The “underground” limit is the thing to know first. A supply pipe split under the lawn or the driveway qualifies; a pipe leaking inside a wall cavity or under a bathroom floor does not, because it is within the dwelling. That second kind is more likely to be a water damage job than a water bill one.

Finding it

The standard meter test works here too: turn everything off, note the meter, use no water for a while, and check again. An elevated house with a reachable subfloor makes the second half easier, because supply pipes under the floor can be inspected directly. A slab house with the pipe under concrete is where a professional detector earns the fee; hipages publishes leak detection at $168 to $400 nationally, indicative. Ask for the written finding: where the leak was and that it was underground, because that is what the policy turns on.

The deadlines are short at one end and long at the other. One month to have a licensed plumber fix it is tight if the leak is under concrete and the first detector cannot find it; six months to apply is comfortable. Start the month on the day the bill or the notice arrives, not the day a plumber is available. Where cost is the obstacle, the policy accepts a report from a qualified plumber from a charitable organisation such as Home Assist, and eligible pensioners receive the full bulk water charge rather than 70%.

Who pays for what, and leaks inside the house

The charter puts leaks on the customer’s side of the meter on the customer’s licensed plumber, and the policy refunds part of the water charges, not the plumbing. For a tenant, a burst water service or a serious water service leak is an emergency repair for the lessor under s 214 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act (Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (Qld) s 214).

When it is inside the house. A leak inside the dwelling falls outside the concealed leak policy and inside the water damage question. Brisbane’s wettest months are in summer — February averages 176.1 mm on the Bureau’s Brisbane record — and wet air slows drying. The damage can be a listed event as an escape of liquid (Insurance Contracts Regulations 2017 (Cth) reg 19(1)(a)(vi)). The national leak guide compares every utility, and the Brisbane page covers elevated houses and the home warranty threshold.

Common questions