A dripping tap is one of those household problems that is easy to put off. It seems small, and it keeps getting pushed down the priority list in favour of more visible issues. But a tap that drips once per second wastes far more water than most people realise, and that waste translates directly into money on your City West Water bill every single quarter.
For homeowners across Melbourne’s western suburbs, where water is supplied and billed by City West Water on a tiered pricing structure, the numbers add up faster than you might expect. This article runs the actual figures and explains why fixing a leaking tap sooner rather than later is almost always the right financial decision.
How Much Water Does a Dripping Tap Actually Waste?
The volume of water wasted by a dripping tap depends entirely on the drip rate. Here are the numbers.
A slow drip, approximately once per second, wastes around 30 litres per day. That is 10,950 litres per year from a single tap.
A moderate drip, approximately twice per second, wastes approximately 60 litres per day, or 21,900 litres per year.
A steady thin stream can waste 100 litres or more per day, which amounts to 36,500 litres annually.
To put these figures in context, an average household shower uses approximately 60 litres of water. A slow dripping tap wastes the equivalent of one shower every two days, automatically, around the clock, including overnight and when the home is empty.
What Does a Leaking Tap Add to Your City West Water Bill?
City West Water charges residential customers across the western suburbs on a tiered usage rate. Using approximate current residential rates, here is what a leaking tap costs annually.
A slow drip of 10,950 litres per year adds approximately $20 to $35 to your annual water bill from supply charges alone.
A moderate drip of 21,900 litres per year costs approximately $40 to $70 per year in water supply charges.
A steady thin stream of 36,500 litres per year costs approximately $65 to $120 annually from supply charges.
These figures cover water supply charges only. They do not include the sewage and wastewater charges that City West Water also applies to measured usage. When sewage charges are included, the actual cost to your bill is typically 50 to 80 per cent higher than the water supply figure alone.
If the leaking tap is supplying hot water, the cost grows further still. Your hot water system continuously heats water to replace the heat lost through the drip, increasing your gas or electricity consumption on top of the water bill impact.
Why Taps Drip and What the Fix Involves
Most leaking taps across Melbourne’s western suburbs homes are caused by one of the following. The specific cause determines what the repair involves.
A worn tap washer: Traditional tap washers made of rubber or neoprene compress against a brass seat to stop the flow of water. Over time, the washer hardens, cracks, or wears unevenly, preventing a proper seal. Replacing a washer is a quick and straightforward repair.
A worn ceramic cartridge: Many modern taps use a ceramic cartridge instead of a traditional washer. When the ceramic disc chips or the seals around it wear out, the tap begins to drip. Cartridge replacement restores the seal effectively.
A damaged tap seat: If the seat inside the tap body is scored or corroded, replacing the washer alone will not stop the drip. The seat needs to be regripped or the tap body replaced.
O-ring failure: On mixer taps, which are standard in most western suburbs kitchen and bathroom installations, the O-rings that seal the rotating components can dry out and crack over time, causing water to seep around the base or spout of the tap.
The Cost Comparison: Fixing Versus Ignoring
Fixing a dripping tap by a licensed plumber typically costs between $120 and $250 depending on the type of tap, the parts required, and whether the tap needs to be replaced rather than repaired.
Ignoring a moderate drip costs approximately $70 to $150 per year in combined City West Water supply and sewage charges alone. This does not account for gas or electricity costs if the drip is from a hot tap, and does not account for potential damage costs if the drip worsens.
Within two years, the cumulative cost of ignoring a moderate drip exceeds the cost of having Westwater Plumbing fix it in a single visit. Over five years, the gap is several hundred dollars. The repair is a one-time cost. The drip is a recurring cost that grows each quarter.
