Water pressure
Find out how to check your water pressure, what to do if you’re having issues, and how we manage pressure across our network.
What to do if you have a problem with water pressure
Try these simple checks before contacting us:
- Speak to your neighbours
If their pressure is also low, we may be working on the network. If not, the issue could be with your internal plumbing. - Check for work in your area
Planned or emergency work can temporarily affect pressure. Use our work in your area map to see if we’re working nearby. If we’re not, continue with the checks below. - Check for frozen pipes
Cold weather can freeze pipes and reduce pressure. Look for frost or condensation.
Find out how to protect pipes from the cold weather. - Check your stop tap
Turn the stop tap off and count how many turns it takes. Run a nearby tap until the water stops. Turn the stop tap back on using the same number of turns. Repeat this a few times to see if your pressure improves.
Need help locating your stop tap?
If it’s stuck or broken, contact a qualified plumber. - Run your cold kitchen tap
If this tap works fine but others don’t, it’s likely an internal plumbing issue.
You’ll need a plumber to investigate further. - Try a quick flow test
First, turn off all taps and appliances. Fill a 1-litre jug or bottle with water from your cold kitchen tap. If it fills in under 7 seconds, your flow is fine. If it takes longer, your water pressure might be low. - Look for leaks
Leaks can cause pressure to drop. We’ll fix leaks outside your property, but anything inside is your responsibility.
Learn how to check for leaks.
Still having trouble?
If you’ve tried all the steps above and things still aren’t right, contact our Operations team on 0345 702 3797 and we can look into it further.
Frequently asked questions on water pressure
Water pressure is the force that pushes water through our supply pipes to your home. It’s measured in metres head, and directly affects how fast water flows from your taps.
We supply water at a minimum pressure of 7 metres head (around 0.7 bar or 10 psi).
In most cases, we aim for 10 metres head (around 1.0 bar or 14 psi) at the point where our pipe joins yours.
This means you should be able to fill a 2-litre bottle in under 13 seconds.
Pressure is created by gravity as water flows downhill from reservoirs or towers. In some areas, we use pumps to maintain consistent pressure.
Water pressure can vary for several reasons. Most changes are temporary.
- Work on our pipes
We may reduce pressure for safety during maintenance. It returns to normal once work is complete. - Unexpected events like bursts
A burst pipe can affect pressure while repairs are underway. - Peak usage times
Pressure may dip during busy periods like mornings and evenings. - Shared supply pipe
If you share a pipe with neighbours, pressure may drop when multiple homes use water at once. - Older or smaller supply pipes
Narrow or ageing pipes restrict flow and reduce pressure. - Long pipework
The longer water travels through your plumbing, the lower the pressure may be at your taps. - Your home’s location
Homes further from the reservoir or at higher elevations may experience lower pressure.
We use valves across our network to keep pressure consistent and always above 0.7 bar.
Plumbing systems are designed to handle high pressure, often over 10 bar.
There’s no official upper limit, but extremely high pressure can affect appliances and fittings. Air can be trapped in the pipes after we’ve carried out work in your area. This can temporarily increase pressure or cause spluttering.
Run your tap for a few minutes to release the air and your supply should return to normal.
Sometimes we need to temporarily turn off water supplies in your area, for planned maintenance or emergency repairs.
Water pressure is the force that pushes water through our supply pipes to your home. It’s measured in metres head, and directly affects how fast water flows from your taps.
We supply water at a minimum pressure of 7 metres head (around 0.7 bar or 10 psi).
In most cases, we aim for 10 metres head (around 1.0 bar or 14 psi) at the point where our pipe joins yours.
This means you should be able to fill a 2-litre bottle in under 13 seconds.
Pressure is created by gravity as water flows downhill from reservoirs or towers. In some areas, we use pumps to maintain consistent pressure.
Water pressure can vary for several reasons. Most changes are temporary.
- Work on our pipes
We may reduce pressure for safety during maintenance. It returns to normal once work is complete. - Unexpected events like bursts
A burst pipe can affect pressure while repairs are underway. - Peak usage times
Pressure may dip during busy periods like mornings and evenings. - Shared supply pipe
If you share a pipe with neighbours, pressure may drop when multiple homes use water at once. - Older or smaller supply pipes
Narrow or ageing pipes restrict flow and reduce pressure. - Long pipework
The longer water travels through your plumbing, the lower the pressure may be at your taps. - Your home’s location
Homes further from the reservoir or at higher elevations may experience lower pressure.
We use valves across our network to keep pressure consistent and always above 0.7 bar.
Plumbing systems are designed to handle high pressure, often over 10 bar.
There’s no official upper limit, but extremely high pressure can affect appliances and fittings. Air can be trapped in the pipes after we’ve carried out work in your area. This can temporarily increase pressure or cause spluttering.
Run your tap for a few minutes to release the air and your supply should return to normal.
Sometimes we need to temporarily turn off water supplies in your area, for planned maintenance or emergency repairs.
Water pressure is the force that pushes water through our supply pipes to your home. It’s measured in metres head, and directly affects how fast water flows from your taps.
We supply water at a minimum pressure of 7 metres head (around 0.7 bar or 10 psi).
In most cases, we aim for 10 metres head (around 1.0 bar or 14 psi) at the point where our pipe joins yours.
This means you should be able to fill a 2-litre bottle in under 13 seconds.
Pressure is created by gravity as water flows downhill from reservoirs or towers. In some areas, we use pumps to maintain consistent pressure.
Water pressure can vary for several reasons. Most changes are temporary.
- Work on our pipes
We may reduce pressure for safety during maintenance. It returns to normal once work is complete. - Unexpected events like bursts
A burst pipe can affect pressure while repairs are underway. - Peak usage times
Pressure may dip during busy periods like mornings and evenings. - Shared supply pipe
If you share a pipe with neighbours, pressure may drop when multiple homes use water at once. - Older or smaller supply pipes
Narrow or ageing pipes restrict flow and reduce pressure. - Long pipework
The longer water travels through your plumbing, the lower the pressure may be at your taps. - Your home’s location
Homes further from the reservoir or at higher elevations may experience lower pressure.
We use valves across our network to keep pressure consistent and always above 0.7 bar.
Plumbing systems are designed to handle high pressure, often over 10 bar.
There’s no official upper limit, but extremely high pressure can affect appliances and fittings. Air can be trapped in the pipes after we’ve carried out work in your area. This can temporarily increase pressure or cause spluttering.
Run your tap for a few minutes to release the air and your supply should return to normal.
Sometimes we need to temporarily turn off water supplies in your area, for planned maintenance or emergency repairs.
Experiencing low or high pressure?
If you experience low or high pressure for extended periods of time please contact our Operations team on 0345 702 3797 and we’ll look into it for you.
Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 18:00 (Out of hours contact available in emergencies only.)
Need a plumber?
We’ve put together a list of trusted, industry-approved plumbers to help you find someone reliable. View our recommended plumbers.
Committed to great service
Our customer promise sets out the minimum standards of service you can expect for your water supply, billing arrangements, water quality and new connection enquiries. For further information visit our customer promise.
We aim to provide a strong, steady flow at your tap by maintaining a minimum pressure of 1.0 bar at the point where our responsibility ends.