That smart-meter notification means water is running somewhere on your property
We find the hidden leak behind the alert — same-day across the Sunshine Coast.
After a leak was detected near my driveway, Kevin very carefully jack-hammered through and found the leaking pipe. He removed the pipe, replaced it with a new one, cemented over it and very neatly finished the surface. Kevin is an excellent plumber and problem solver — I would recommend him for any plumbing job.
What it means
Unitywater's digital meters take a reading every 15 minutes and report daily. When the meter records continuous flow for 48+ hours with no break, it automatically triggers a leak alert — sent to you by SMS or email.
Unitywater doesn't know where the leak is. Only that one exists on your side of the meter. That's where we come in.
Unitywater's smart meters trigger an alert after 48 hours of continuous flow above 500 litres a day. That's the minimum — the actual leak could be much bigger.
Common culprits
In all the jobs we've done across the Sunshine Coast, the source is almost always one of these.
Buried pipes and water mains leak from ground movement, age, faulty installation, or rocks pressing against the pipe.
A worn inlet or outlet valve seal lets water bypass or overfill the cistern, silently losing hundreds of litres a day. The most common cause, and easy to miss because it makes no sound.
Pipes under your concrete slab develop pinhole leaks. Warning signs: warm spots underfoot, damp carpet, or a faint mouldy smell.
A faulty auto top-up valve can run continuously and trigger a leak alert at the meter — surprisingly common over summer.
Drip lines, leaking solenoid valves, or a hose tap quietly weeping behind a garden bed can run unnoticed for weeks.
A failing pressure relief valve or a leak inside the tank can drip continuously — often into a drain where you'd never spot it.
Your next steps
A simple four-step approach. Try the first three yourself — if no luck, that's exactly when to call us.
Walk the property looking for damp patches in the garden, dripping outdoor taps, a constantly running toilet, or a hissing sound from any fixture. Sometimes the leak is something you can see.
Add a few drops of food colouring into each cistern. Wait 20 minutes without flushing — if the colour appears in the bowl, that toilet is the culprit. Cheapest fix, most common cause.
Turn off everything that uses water, inside and outside. Look at the small spinning dial on the meter. If it's still turning, water is still flowing somewhere. That confirms a hidden leak.
If you can't pinpoint it yourself, that's our specialty. Thermal imaging, acoustic equipment and tracer gas find it precisely — no unnecessary digging or wall damage. Usually same-day.
How we help
No guesswork. No digging up the whole yard. No tearing into walls hoping you'll get lucky.
What it costs
Honestly? It depends. A worn inlet or outlet valve seal in a toilet — where water bypasses or overfills the cistern — takes minutes and is inexpensive. A burst pipe under a concrete slab is a bigger job. Anyone giving you a firm price over the phone before they've even seen the leak is guessing.
Here's what we promise: a clear, written quote on-site before any repair work begins — so you know what it'll cost, with no hidden costs, and can decide before we proceed. Most customers find the repair costs a fraction of what a couple of unnoticed billing cycles would have added to the water bill.
Same-day available
The moment that Unitywater alert hits your inbox, the clock is running on your water bill. A leak at the minimum alert threshold is already costing you every single day it keeps running.
We prioritise these jobs and aim to be on-site the same day, right across the Sunshine Coast — Caloundra to Noosa and through the hinterland.
per day, for 48 hours straight — that's all it takes to trigger the alert
Zero financial risk. If we can't locate your leak, your invoice is zero. We back our work with this guarantee because we're that confident in our process and our equipment.
*Guarantee terms: Our "Leak Found or It's FREE" guarantee applies to residential properties only, where the leak is greater than 10 litres per hour. If we complete our full investigation and cannot locate a qualifying leak, you pay nothing.Don't just take our word for it
Real reviews from real Sunshine Coast customers — updated live from Google.
What we do
Thermal imaging, acoustic detection and tracer gas pinpoint the exact source before anything is opened up. Leak found or it's free.*
Learn more →We find concealed pipe leaks under driveways, lawns and slabs without unnecessary excavation — so your yard stays intact.
Learn more →Fast repairs for burst pipes, available 24/7. Licensed plumbers who locate the break and fix it quickly to stop the damage.
Learn more →24/7 rapid response to burst pipes, active leaks and plumbing emergencies right across the Sunshine Coast. QBCC licensed.
Learn more →We find leaks behind tiles, in shower bases and wet areas without unnecessary tile removal or guesswork.
Learn more →We safely and quickly locate natural gas and LPG leaks. If you smell gas, call us immediately — QBCC licensed.
Learn more →We locate and repair leaking water services quickly, with minimal excavation and a clean, tidy finish.
Learn more →Need to know where the pipe runs before you dig? We locate and mark underground water services — poly, copper, any size.
Learn more →Losing water from the pool? We find leaks in your pool plumbing, the shell and the skimmer — without emptying it.
Learn more →Hydrant mains, boosters and pump rooms on schools, commercial sites and high rise. Nitrogen and compressor testing.
Learn more →Leak detection and repair for commercial, civil and industrial sites — schools, shopping centres, estates and more.
Learn more →Got a leak notification from Unitywater? We find the hidden leak behind that smart-meter alert — same-day across the Coast.
Learn more →Service areas
One local team covering the whole Coast. If you are near one of these, we are likely in your area right now.
Call us now or submit a quote and we'll have someone with you today.
Same-day leak detection across the Sunshine Coast