Have we told you that you have a leak?

If we’ve been investigating leaks in your area and discover one on your private supply, or noticed unusually high usage from your property, we’ll be in touch. We may issue what’s known as a Leakage Notice.

A Leakage Notice is a legal document that we issue to the water user, and the homeowner (if this isn’t you) about a leak on your private supply.

The notice lets you know how long you have to fix the leak. It is important that you take the appropriate steps to get the leak repaired.

See below for more about the legal requirements/obligations around Leakage Notices. 

Leakage Notices on a shared supply

If you have a leak on a shared supply, we will contact all the customers who are responsible for the leak. You may find it helpful if collectively you agree on one person to arrange the repair on behalf of you all, and then each of you contributes your share of the repair cost.

Find out more about shared pipework responsibility.

Wasting water is a breach of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 and may lead to a criminal prosecution and a fine.

Leakage Notices:

If we’ve given you a Leakage Notice under the Water Industry Act 1991, it’s to inform you of the following:

• We are aware that water is leaking from a water pipe or fitting for which you are responsible.
• The need for you to arrange the repair within a specified timescale, which may range from 7 days to 21 days depending on the severity of the leak, and the Leakage Notice issued.
• How to contact us for help or advice.
• What will happen if you do not arrange the repair.

Responsibility for leaks

Our water mains are normally in the highway, although some do run across land and through private property. Your supply pipe usually joins our pipework at the boundary of your property; there is often an external stop tap at this point.

• You are responsible for repairing leaks on your supply pipe and on internal pipework and fittings in your premises.
• Where you share a supply pipe or pipework, all customers who receive water from the shared pipe may be responsible for the repair.
• We are only responsible for repairing leaks on our pipework.
• We have a statutory duty to ensure that leaks for which you are responsible are repaired.
• We have the power to prosecute where water fittings which are your responsibility need repair or replacement and as a result water is wasted or unduly consumed.  

Enforcement action

• Failing to repair your private supply pipes and fittings which are leaking and wasting water is a criminal offence.
• If you don’t comply with our request, we will serve a legal notice requiring a repair to be carried out. We are also able to carry out the leak repair ourselves using our powers under Section 75(9) (a) and (b) of the 1991 Water Industry Act and charge you reasonable expenses for carrying out the work.
• We have legal powers to disconnect (or restrict) your supply until the repairs have been carried out, in circumstances where the wastage of water becomes or causes an emergency, where the leak is excessive or where there is the risk of contamination, damage to property or harm to people.