Leak Detection
in Midrand
Leak detection in Midrand begins at your water meter. With every tap closed, the dial either stops or keeps turning, and that one reading separates a real leak from the air that follows an outage. Pressure and listening tests then narrow it down before anything is opened.
Request a call-out- 1Meter: the closed-tap test
- 2Stopcock
- 3Garden and irrigation branch
- 4House cold branch
- 5Geyser feed
- 6Hot circuit
What each test can and cannot tell you
Each test narrows the search. None of them replaces the next one.
| Test | What it shows | Its limits |
|---|---|---|
| Closed-tap meter test | Whether water is leaving the system at all | Every tap, cistern and irrigation valve has to be closed |
| Section isolation | Which branch the leak is on | Needs isolating valves that still close |
| Pressure drop test | Whether a closed section holds pressure | Proves a leak exists, not where it is |
| Acoustic listening | The spot along a pipe where water escapes | Harder under thick slabs and beside busy roads |
| Thermal imaging | Hot-water leaks in walls and floors | Works on hot lines, not cold ones |
| Moisture readings | How far damp has spread | Damp travels, so the wettest spot may not be the leak |
Water or air: what the meter counted after the outage
After a Midrand outage, some meters turn while nobody is using water. This is how to tell that apart from a leak.
Johannesburg Water's meters measure volume, and its spokesperson has explained what happens when supply is restored: air comes through the pipes with moisture, and the meter responds to it. The advice is to keep taps and the domestic supply closed while the lines are flushed, and the utility notes that the effect cannot go on for long, because flushing clears the air from the larger system.1
That gives a clean way to separate the two. Air registers during the refill and stops once the pipes are full; a leak keeps registering for as long as the supply is on. The City's own test is the one to use: turn off every tap, appliance and outlet, and if the meter keeps registering, there may be a leak on the property. Do it a day after supply is back to normal, not during the refill, and photograph the meter with the date and time before and after.2
The reason to bother is the tariff. Johannesburg charges for water in steps: the first 6 kilolitres a month are free, and each block after that costs more per kilolitre, so that on the 2026/27 domestic tariff the top block costs roughly three times the first paid one.3 A hidden leak does not just add volume. It pushes the whole month's use up into the dearer blocks.
Responsibility follows the boundary. Leaks on the City's meter, or on its pipes outside the boundary, are reported to the City; leaks inside the boundary are generally the owner's to repair. If a leak has already produced a large bill, the City says its customer service centres can help with a payment arrangement.2
Read the meter before you pay anyone to search: everything off, a day after the water is back, two photos ten minutes apart. If the dial has not moved, you may not need a plumber at all. If it has, the reading tells us how fast the water is going before we start.
How a leak detection visit runs
From the meter inwards, one section at a time, so the floor is opened once or not at all.
Your reading
If you have done the closed-tap test, tell us what the dial did before and after.
Confirm and split
The test is repeated, then sections are closed one at a time to find the leaking branch.
Pin the spot
Pressure, listening and, on hot lines, thermal tests narrow it to a short length of pipe.
Open once
You see the spot and the reasoning before tiles, paving or plaster come up.
Repair and re-test
The meter test is run again after the repair, and the findings are written up.
How leak detection is priced
Finding the leak and fixing it are separate prices, so you know what each one costs.
| Item | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Call-out and meter test | Stated before the visit. If the closed-tap test shows no leak, that is where it ends. |
| Locating | Priced for the testing needed to pin the leak: isolation, pressure and listening. |
| Opening up | Only at the marked spot, after you have seen the reasoning, and priced with the repair. |
| Repair | Its own lines: the pipe or fitting, the labour, and making good where that is agreed. |
| Re-test | The closed-tap test is repeated after the repair, so you can watch the dial stop. |
| Written findings | Readings, sections tested, where the leak was and what was done, for your records or a claim. |
Leak questions, cost first
Including what to do about the bill once the leak is fixed.
How much does leak detection cost in Midrand?
The visit and the meter test carry a call-out fee, stated before anyone comes out. Finding a leak behind tiles or under a slab takes more testing than a dripping fitting, so that part is priced once the meter shows how much water is being lost. The repair is a separate price.
How can I tell if I have a leak before calling anyone?
Use the City's own test: turn off every tap, appliance and outlet, and watch the meter2. If it keeps registering, there may be a leak on the property. Do it once supply has been normal for a day, and photograph the dial with the time, then again ten minutes later.
My bill jumped after an outage. Is that a leak?
Not necessarily. Johannesburg Water has said its meters respond to the air that comes through the pipes during restoration1. That stops once the pipes are full. If the meter still turns a day later with everything closed, it is water, and worth finding.
Is the leak my responsibility or the City's?
Inside the property boundary it is generally yours; on the City's meter, or on its pipes outside the boundary, it is the City's and you report it2. If the meter itself is leaking, report it rather than having it repaired.
Will you break walls or floors to find it?
Only once, at a spot the tests have narrowed down, and only after you have seen why. The point of isolating sections and listening first is to avoid opening a floor on a guess.
Can I get help with a big bill after a leak?
The City says its customer service centres can help customers facing high bills after internal leaks, including an Acknowledgement of Debt payment arrangement and, where people qualify, guidance on its debt relief programme2. Take the repair invoice and your meter photos with you.
Do you trace leaks on a complex's shared pipes?
Yes, with the managing agent's go-ahead, because a pipe serving more than one unit is the body corporate's to maintain4. The findings are written up for the scheme, not only for the owner who called.
What do I get in writing after the test?
A short report: the meter readings before and after, the sections tested, where the leak was found and what was done. It is the record you need if you query the bill with the City or claim from an insurer.
Related work in Midrand
Where a leak search often leads.
Request a call-out
Done the closed-tap meter test? Send what the dial read before and after. If not, say what first made you think there was a leak: a bill, a wet patch, or water you can hear running.
Service area
Leak detection across Midrand, from Country View and Crowthorne to President Park, Randjespark and Waterfall.
BookingRequest a call-out
AreaMidrand, City of Johannesburg
Suburbs covered
- Barbeque Downs
- Blue Hills
- Carlswald
- Country View
- Crowthorne
- Ebony Park
- Glen Austin
- Halfway Gardens
- Halfway House
- Ivory Park
- Kaalfontein
- Kyalami
- Noordwyk
- President Park
- Rabie Ridge
- Randjesfontein
- Randjespark
- Vorna Valley
- Waterfall