Contact our wholesale team

To report a leak, you need know:

• the exact location of the leak (postcode/street name/village)
• the type of leak (pool of water, trickle down street, flowing stream, like a fountain)
• your contact details (we only need these in case we need to phone you back)

Inside your property

You're responsible for the maintenance of the plumbing inside your premises, for example water pipes, water tanks and overflows.

Outside your property, but still on your land​

You're also responsible for the pipework from the boundary of your property up to where it enters your premises.

Outside your property boundary

If the leak is outside your property boundary and on our water pipe (pipes in roads, footpaths and the pipe that leads up to your property boundary) then this is our responsibility.

If you've spotted pollution in a water course, please call us on 0800 138 3484 so that we can investigate as a priority.

Signs of a suspected pollution in rivers, water courses or coastal areas could include:

• the appearance of toilet paper, tissues, wipes, faecal matter, condoms and/or sanitary products
• a river or stream appearing to look cloudy or milky
• the appearance of soap suds or foam
• the presence of a slimy grey sewage fungus
• dead or gasping fish
• noticeable sewage odour.

We’ll take a look

If sewage is inside your home or property, we’ll try to get to you the same day. You’ll need to be in when we visit so if you can’t be there, we’ll make you an appointment for a later date.

If sewage is outside your property, we’ll aim to get there within 5 days.

We can text you on the day to let you know the technician is on their way. When they arrive, the technician will clean up the mess and figure out what’s causing the leak. Once they know what the problem is, the technician will tell you what you need to do and explain when happens next.

Next steps

If it's a problem with our pipework, we’ll take responsibility and sort it.

Every situation is different, so it’s difficult to know how long the problem will take to fix. If it’s a simple problem, we may be able to fix it on our first visit. Fixing big problems can be complicated and may take a while, so we may need to come back to do further work. If we need access to your property again, we’ll get in touch to arrange another appointment.

Fixing a problem on your property

If you live in a rented property, you should contact your landlord and tell them about the problem.

If you own the property, contact your insurance company before you start looking for a drainage contractor. They will be able to give you help and advice about making a claim. If you don’t notify your insurance company, it could affect any future insurance claim. We have no liability for sewage leaks which are beyond our control so your insurance company are best placed to help you regarding loss and damage.

You are responsible for all the pipes inside the property. These include toilets, sink drains and any outdoor guttering or pipes attached to the property. You’re also responsible for the section of pipe from where the pipes go into the ground, either directly or into a gully close to the property, until it reaches a public sewer (unless this is shared with your neighbour).

Don't worry, we're still on hand to give you advice and we'll help you as much as we can.

Sewage leaks can be very dangerous so it's important you stay safe.

• Do not walk through flood waters if you can avoid it - they may contain sewage and other dangers. You should also keep children and pets away from the affected area.
• Wash your hands and disinfect footwear after any contact with the sewage.
• Turn off electricity and gas points if sewage is in danger of reaching them.
• Take extra care around flooded areas - manhole covers may have been moved by the water. You might not be able to see this, and you could fall and injure yourself.
• Never attempt to unblock a sewer yourself – this would put you at risk and could make the situation worse. You should wait for one of our professionals to come and deal with the problem.
• Protect cuts and grazes with waterproof dressings and wear rubber gloves to protect yourself while cleaning up.
• Don’t eat any fruit or vegetables grown in the garden if there has been a sewage leak, and don’t plant any new ones for at least six months.

If you turn on your taps and find you have no cold water, or very low water pressure, it may simply be because there's work going on in your area. If you haven't received a letter or card, there may be a problem near you, like a burst water main.

Check for incidents in your area

If there's no work going on, have you checked your stop tap? Sometimes, when work is carried out, air or sediment can become trapped behind your internal stop tap.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Turn on your main feed cold water tap (this is usually your kitchen tap).
2. Turn your internal stop tap.
3. Make sure your stop tap is fully open, then turn it back slightly to avoid seizing.
4. You may find the water coughs and splutters a bit, but usually this brings back the water or increases the pressure.

If none of these suggestions have worked and you still have no water or low pressure, give us a call and we can help you. If you need one of your technicians to visit you, we can make an appointment while you're on the call.

If we couldn't help you over the phone, one of our technicians will pay you a visit to check water is flowing to your property. Where possible, we may also check the taps to see if the problem is in your home or outside the property. The technician will advise you on the next steps.

Water pipe responsibility changes at the boundary where the street meets your property, this is usually at your garden gate. If sufficient water flow doesn't reach this boundary we'll upgrade the pipes and ensure it does.

You are responsible for pipework between the boundary of the street and your home, stop taps on your property (either inside or outside) and all the plumbing in your property.

If the problem is inside your property, the maintenance is your responsibility. You may have plumbing and drainage cover, so you might want to contact your insurance provider before looking for a plumber.

If you need to find a plumber, you can find an approved local one on the WaterSafe website.