# Water Meter Leak Nottingham | Meter Still Turning? | Notts Leak Detection > Water meter leak in Nottingham: meter still turning with every tap off? Find out if the leak is yours or the water company's, and get it located. Open 7 days. URL: https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/water-meter-leak/ 1. [Home](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/) 2. Water Meter Leak # Water Meter Leak? Meter Still Turning in Nottingham [Notts Leak Detection](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/) investigates a suspected water meter leak across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire: whether the water is going on your side of the meter or Severn Trent's, and exactly where. Get the meter leak checked 0115 839 0791 (+441158390791) [Request a quote](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/contact/) Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm. ![Water meter in a pavement boundary box being checked by torchlight outside a terraced house in Nottingham](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/images/water-meter-in-boundary-box-checked-with-torch-nottingham-pavement.webp) - Meter flow test - Stop-tap isolation - Meter step tests - Acoustic and tracer gas location - Faulty meter or real leak? - Severn Trent leakage allowance Last updated: 28 September 2026 A water meter leak usually shows up as a bill that has doubled or tripled, or a meter that keeps turning when nothing in the house is running. The meter itself is rarely the problem. More often, water is escaping between the meter and the house on the buried supply pipe, or inside the house through a toilet that never stops filling. ## The meter test you can do now Severn Trent publishes a simple [flow test](https://www.stwater.co.uk/help-and-contact/customer-information/metering-fixing-faults-policy/): 1. Turn off every tap and make sure nothing that uses water is running, including the washing machine, dishwasher and outside taps. 2. Read the meter and write down the exact figures. 3. Use no water for at least three hours. 4. Read the meter again. If it has gone up, you may have a leak. To tell inside from outside, close the internal stop tap, usually under the kitchen sink, and watch the meter for a few minutes. If it still moves, the water is escaping on the supply pipe between the meter and the house. If it stops, look inside first. A toilet cistern that trickles into the pan is a common culprit. ## Whose side is the leak on? [Severn Trent owns](https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/tap-water/my-water-pipes/water-pipe-responsibility/) the water main, the communication pipe, the boundary stop tap and the meter. The supply pipe from the boundary to your house is yours, even where it crosses someone else’s land. So a leak on the meter or in the boundary box around it is Severn Trent‘s to fix, and you can report it free on 0800 783 4444. A leak on the house side of the meter is yours. That is the one we locate, using acoustic listening or tracer gas once the route is traced, as described under [underground water leak detection](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/underground-water-leak-detection/). ## Faulty meter or real leak? People often suspect the meter, but the evidence rarely backs it up. Severn Trent says its test records in recent years show no meters failing by over-recording; meters that fail tend to under-record. An independent meter test typically costs £70 plus VAT, and you only pay if the meter turns out to be accurate. Running the flow test first, or having the leak located, is usually cheaper. [Water leak or faulty meter](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/guide/water-leak-or-faulty-meter/) goes through the evidence. ## Getting the money back Once the leak is fixed, Severn Trent offers a one-off leakage allowance once the leak is repaired, covering up to 12 months or two bills based on actual meter readings. The report shows where the leak was and the repair invoice proves it was fixed. If Severn Trent has already written to you about the leak, see [private leakage notices](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/private-leakage-notice/) for the deadline that may apply. ## What's included - Meter reading and flow test - Internal stop tap isolation test - Check of toilets, taps and appliances for internal leaks - Check of the meter and boundary box for visible leaks - Supply pipe route traced - Leak located on the supply pipe if it is there - Written report you can send to Severn Trent - Advice on the leakage allowance and any meter test ## How the options compare Water Meter Leak: options compared Compare Do it yourself Dig-and-hope operator Proper leak detection First step Ring the water company and wait Replace the stop tap Flow and isolation tests to find which side the loss is on If it is a toilet or tap Missed Missed Found in the first hour If it is the supply pipe Unknown Trial holes Located and marked Paperwork None An invoice Report for the leakage allowance ## Related resources - [Decision Guide Is it a water leak or a faulty meter?](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/guide/water-leak-or-faulty-meter/) - [Learn How does the Severn Trent leak allowance work?](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/guide/severn-trent-leak-allowance/) - [Learn How to find a water leak underground](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/guide/how-to-find-water-leak-underground/) Water coming up now? 1. 1Turn off your internal stop tap. It is usually under the kitchen sink. 2. 2Water in the road or on the pavement? That is Severn Trent's: call 0800 783 4444 (+448007834444). 3. 3On your side of the boundary? Call us, 9am–7pm, 7 days. 0115 839 0791 (+441158390791) Standards and rules we work to - Severn Trent's published split of pipe responsibility - Severn Trent's meter flow test method - Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 - WRAS-approved fittings on any repair Step by step ## What happens, from call to report 1. ### Flow test Everything off, meter read, nothing used, meter read again. Any movement means water is going somewhere. 2. ### Inside or outside? With the internal stop tap closed, a moving meter means the loss is on the buried pipe. 3. ### Locate Toilets and taps checked inside; acoustic or tracer gas location outside. 4. ### Report Where the leak is, whose side it is on, and what to send Severn Trent for the allowance. The work ## How the work looks Illustrative photos of the methods and finish described on this page. They are not records of particular customers' jobs. - ![Boundary box lid lifted in the pavement to check the water meter, Nottingham](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/images/boundary-box-lid-lifted-in-pavement-nottingham.webp) Boundary box lid lifted in the pavement to check the water meter - ![Internal stop tap under a kitchen sink being closed for a meter test, Nottingham](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/images/hand-closing-stop-tap-under-sink-nottingham.webp) Internal stop tap under a kitchen sink being closed for a meter test - ![Open toilet cistern checked for an internal leak, Nottingham](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/images/toilet-cistern-open-showing-fill-valve-nottingham.webp) Open toilet cistern checked for an internal leak - ![Damp strip of lawn near the boundary, a sign of a supply pipe leak, Nottingham](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/images/damp-patch-on-lawn-near-boundary-nottingham.webp) Damp strip of lawn near the boundary, a sign of a supply pipe leak Meter moving with everything off? Find out where the water is going. Meter leak investigations anywhere in Nottinghamshire. Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm. 0115 839 0791 (+441158390791) [Request a quote](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/contact/) Questions ## Water Meter Leak: common questions ### Could my water meter be faulty instead? It is possible but unusual. Severn Trent says its test records in recent years show no meters failing by over-recording; meters that fail tend to under-record. A meter test typically costs £70 plus VAT, charged only if the meter is accurate. See [water leak or faulty meter](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/guide/water-leak-or-faulty-meter/). ### The meter itself is leaking. Whose problem is that? The meter belongs to Severn Trent. A leak on the meter or the boundary box around it is theirs to fix: report it on 0800 783 4444 (+448007834444). ### How big a leak does it take to double my bill? Less than you would think. A leak of one litre a minute runs to 525,600 litres (525.6 cubic metres) over a year, because it never stops. That shows on the meter even when you can't hear anything. ### Will I get the extra water charges back? Usually once. After the leak is repaired, Severn Trent offers a one-off leakage allowance once the leak is repaired, covering up to 12 months or two bills based on actual meter readings. See [how the Severn Trent leak allowance works](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/guide/severn-trent-leak-allowance/). ### Are you open 24 hours? No. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Out of hours, turn off your internal stop tap to stop the flow and call us in the morning. If water is coming up in the road or on the pavement, that is on Severn Trent's side: report it free on 0800 783 4444 (+448007834444). Related ## Related services - ### [Underground Water Leak Detection](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/underground-water-leak-detection/) Pinpoint a leak on the buried pipe between the boundary and your house with acoustic, gas and meter tests before anyone digs. View service - ### [Private Leakage Notice](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/private-leakage-notice/) Got a letter giving you a deadline to fix a leak? Locate it quickly, fix it, and keep proof of the repair. View service - ### [Water Supply Pipe Repair](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/water-supply-pipe-repair/) One leak on your supply pipe, found and fixed through a single small hole. View service Stop paying for water you never used. Call to book, or send a quote request and we will ring you back. Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm. 0115 839 0791 (+441158390791) [Request a quote](https://nottsleakdetection.co.uk/contact/)