Sometimes it can be a bit confusing when it comes to pipes. It’s probably not something you’ve put much thought into. We take our pipes very seriously though, and we have whole teams of people who spend their lives thinking about water pipes. Where they are. How old they are. Whether they’re leaking or not. Flow levels. It’s all very exciting stuff. All this means that we’re making sure we’re getting high quality water to your home in the best way possible.
Our network
- trunk mains– the large pipes owned by us that distribute water around our network and supply water to our customers
- the communication pipe - this connects your supply pipe to our mains pipe
- the external stop tap - It’s used to control water flow and will be installed at or near your property boundary
- the meter (if you have one) - this tell us how much water a property is using and are usually (but not always) fitted in the same location as the external stop tap.
Your pipes
There are other pipes such as those on your property or in your home that are generally your responsibility to look after and repair or replace if they start leaking. A general rule of thumb is if they’re on your home’s side of the water meter, they’re probably yours to deal with. These can include:
- All the pipes inside your property
- The supply pipe – this is usually up to the boundary of your property although sometimes your supply pipe might cross a pathway, highway or private land.
- Your internal stop tap – this is used to turn your home’s water supply on and off. For example, if you’re having plumbing work done, or you have a burst pipe.
It’s your responsibility to locate, repair and replace these pipes and equipment when necessary. We don’t have access to maps showing where your supply pipes are located.
Homes on joint supplies
If you share your supply pipe with your neighbours (known as a joint, shared or common supply pipe), you’re individually responsible for looking after the section of pipe that supplies your property, and you’re jointly responsible with your neighbour(s) for looking after the section of pipe that supplies your and your neighbours’ property.
Want to know more?You can find out more about joint supplies and shared responsibilities in our Leakage booklet.
Need a plumber?
We recommend you get three quotes from plumbers that are part of an approved contractors scheme, such as Watersafe.
Find WaterSafe approved plumbers in your area >