HELP - 3million gallons of water gone through my watermeter!

[mattylad]

Somehow I do think that this ought to be something that your local water co should be looking into PDQ as that much water loss is a tad excessive.

 

[doitall]

If you install an accessible stopvalve inside the boundary you can turn it on and off at will. At the same time it will go some way to locating or proving the leak.

There's many reasons for it not showing including and underground stream, my house for example is on the top of a very big hill overlooking a valley, the ground is very ashy so an water quickly runs off/away, it could also be under the drive, or right on the edge of the boundary and running under the road.

 

[globalste]

whats PDQ?

I spoke to HSS to try and get an ultrasonic flow meter but they only rent them weekly at a cost of £200...

 

[globalste]

ah "Pretty Dmn Quick"?

Yep, we have tried pushing them and using their regulator. Am considering calling OFWAT now to get them here quicker...

 

[doitall]

Pretty Damn Quick

You need to get digging as above.

 

[doitall]

For the record, 33,000 gallons a day = 23gallons a min, I would seriously doubt your meter could deliver that Volume.

 

[keego]

I wouldn't lose to much sleep over it, loss of metered water is covered on your building insurance. Now if you don't have any insurance then you might need a few cups of Ovaltine to get a good nights kip.

 

[globalste]

weve got the insurance co coming around on thurs for that discussion :/

 

[doitall]

I timed the meter for 5mins and then from that calculated 1m3 increase on the meter every 12.5hrs. If the meter had been moving at this rate the whole time, it would take something like 18yrs to get to the current figure therefore it has been going through the meter at a rate much higher.

That equates to 2000 litres a day not even close to 33000 gallons.

 

[globalste]

I timed the meter for 5mins and then from that calculated 1m3 increase on the meter every 12.5hrs. If the meter had been moving at this rate the whole time, it would take something like 18yrs to get to the current figure therefore it has been going through the meter at a rate much higher.

That equates to 2000 litres a day not even close to 33000 gallons.

yes, 2000 litres per day is the current rate but the meter says 3million gallons since our last reading in June. 3m gals in 90 days is at least 33,000 gallons per day...

 

[doitall]

And as I said I doubt the meter can deliver that volume.

 

[globalste]

thanks doitall i think i shall be asking the water company what the maximum flowrate of the meter is...

I think it would be interesting to know what the maximum volume flowrate of the meter is and also the supply pipework.

Is there a standard bore and pressure for water mains? Or even better, does anyone know what the maximum flowrate to a house is??

 

[doitall]

The nominal flow rate of a 3/4 (25mm) standard water meter is 2.5m³/H

 

[globalste]

cheers do it all, so our 13100m3 over 90days works out at 6.1m3/h which exceeds the 2.5m3 you mentioned.

Broken meter possibility?

 

[JohnD]

or else the previous meter readings were wrong.

which I think is quite likely

and still do