Water Leak Cost Calculator Dubai | Free Tool

Step 1: What kind of leak do you have?

Roughly 60 drops a minute. Independently confirmed by two separate sources (a UK insurer's measured rate and a US drip calculator), both landing close to this same figure.

Step 2: Your water rate (AED per m³)

Defaulted to an approximate blended rate combining DEWA's mid-tier slab rate, the fuel surcharge, and the sewerage charge. Check your latest DEWA bill for your exact marginal rate for a precise result.

Select a leak type and click Calculate to see your estimate

This tool gives an estimate for illustration, based on commonly-cited water-loss rates and an approximate current DEWA rate, not an exact prediction of your specific bill. Actual leak rates, tariff slabs, and surcharges vary. Always check your official DEWA bill for exact figures.

How to Measure Your Own Leak, Instead of Guessing

A single drop from a tap is a small, fairly consistent amount, roughly a quarter of a milliliter. That gives you a genuinely accurate way to measure your own leak rather than picking a preset category:

1Using a phone timer, count every drip for exactly 10 seconds.
2Multiply that count by 6 to get drips per minute.
3Multiply drips per minute by roughly 0.36 to get liters per day (drips/min × 1440 min/day × 0.00025 L/drip).
4Enter that figure into the "I know my own rate" option above for a genuinely measured result, not an estimate.

If the leak is more of a trickle than distinct drops, a simpler method works better: place a measuring jug under it for exactly one minute, measure the water collected in milliliters, then multiply by 1,440 to get liters per day.

Infographic comparing the monthly AED cost of four leak types: slow drip, fast drip, running toilet, and a stuck fill valve worst case

Download this comparison chart

How Bad Can It Actually Get?

The US EPA's WaterSense program, which tracks household water waste, documents that a completely stuck toilet fill valve can waste up to roughly 16,280 liters a day if it's never noticed, an extreme case, but a real, documented one. A malfunctioning drip irrigation system leaking at a steady rate has separately been estimated to waste the equivalent of thousands of dirhams a year, relevant for any villa with garden irrigation running unsupervised.

Most household leaks sit nowhere near these extremes. They sit at the slow-drip or running-toilet end of the scale, exactly the leaks people are most likely to ignore because the number feels small in the moment.

Common Questions

How accurate is this estimate really?

It's a genuine estimate, not a lab measurement. The drip-volume figures are widely-cited averages, cross-checked against multiple independent sources, and actual leak rates vary by tap type, water pressure, and how worn the fitting is. Treat the number as a realistic order of magnitude, useful for deciding whether a fix is worth prioritising, not a figure to expect on your bill to the dirham.

Does this account for DEWA's progressive slab pricing?

Not automatically. DEWA charges higher rates as your total usage rises through slabs, so if a leak pushes you into a higher slab, the real cost can be higher than this calculator shows using a single flat rate. Entering your actual marginal rate (the rate for the slab you're currently in) gives the more accurate answer.

What if my leak is faster than a running toilet?

A genuinely fast leak, a burst fitting or a supply line failure, is a different situation entirely, that's an emergency to isolate and call a plumber for immediately, not something to run through a cost calculator first. The 'stuck fill valve' option shows what an extreme, fully-neglected case looks like, but if water is actively flowing where it shouldn't right now, stop reading and shut off the supply.

How do I know if I actually have a leak, versus just higher usage?

An unexplained rise in your DEWA bill with no obvious lifestyle change (more guests, more laundry) is the most common tell. Our water usage checker tool compares your actual usage against typical ranges for your property type if you want a clearer signal before assuming it's a leak.

Is it worth fixing a slow drip, or should I wait until it gets worse?

Almost always worth fixing now. A slow drip is typically the cheapest tier of repair, a washer or cartridge, and it only gets more expensive if left to wear the fixture further or, in the case of a running toilet, waste water for months unnoticed.

Why isn't this priced in dollars or gallons like most leak calculators I find online?

Because almost every leak calculator online is built for a US or UK household, priced in dollars or pounds, measured in gallons. This one uses AED and DEWA's actual metric billing unit, cubic meters, because that's what's on your real bill.

Think You Have a Leak Somewhere You Can't See?

We diagnose hidden leaks properly before recommending any fix, real pricing, no guesswork.

Call +971 55 209 9785 See Leak Detection Service