General News
31 July, 2026
Wintry warning for water meters
Central Highlands Water is encouraging residents across the region to get prepared for frosty mornings ahead.
Sub-zero temperatures can create havoc for early morning showers and cups of coffee, if a frozen water meter stops the water supply to your house. This can be even worse if the icy conditions cause your water meter to burst.
Central Highlands Water’s coordinator — metering and billing, Ben Schueddekopf, is reminding residents to take a few easy steps to protect their water meter.
“As the temperature plummets, simple household items can be used to cover your traditional analog water meter to help reduce frost risk; wooden and foam boxes, carpet offcuts, towels and hessian sacks all do the trick,” he said.
“Those with a green thumb can also plant soft shrubs around their meter for added protection. We just ask that the meter remains easily accessible.
“If a property has a digital meter installed, the plastic top is frost resistant and offers meter protection, it needs to remain uncovered to accurately transmit data.
“The pipes extending out from your meter can still be impacted by frost and can be wrapped with thick cloth, like a towel — a section of a pool noodle also works well.
“Essentially, regardless of what type of meter you have, if you cover the metal you will add extra protection from frost.
“For those who do have a meter freeze our most important advice is to never pour hot water on it – this can cause a burst. Ideally let it thaw naturally, or if you need to speed up the process, pour on some room temperature water.
“If a burst does happen, our Maintenance team is available 24/7 to support. Mornings of extreme frost can increase demand so wait times can potentially be longer than normal.”
If your meter does burst, or you need to report a fault or outage, Central Highlands Water can be contacted on 1800 061 514.
Visit www.chw.net.au/protect-your-meter for more details.