Who fixes a leak on the pipe between the meter and my house?
The buried pipe from the boundary to your house is yours, not the water company's. What that means for a leak, and the schemes and allowances that often cover part of the cost.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 5 min
Short answer
Everything from the outside stop tap to your house — the supply pipe — is the householder's responsibility to repair, including the buried run under your own front garden. The water company owns the main and the communication pipe up to that tap. Most companies operate a leak allowance on the bill and some offer a free or subsidised repair.
A leak on a buried supply pipe is one of the more unwelcome discoveries in home ownership, partly because of the excavation and partly because most people assume the water company owns everything up to the wall of the house. They do not. Knowing where the boundary of responsibility falls, and what help is available, makes a substantial difference to what it costs.
Step by step
- Learn where the boundary is.The water main under the road, and the communication pipe branching from it to the outside stop tap, belong to the water company. From that stop tap onwards — the supply pipe — is the householder's, including everything buried under the front garden, under the drive, and through the wall into the house.
- Confirm you actually have a leak.Turn off every water-using appliance and every tap, then read the meter, wait an hour or two with nothing used, and read it again. Movement with nothing running means water is escaping somewhere. If your property is unmetered, the water company can fit a temporary meter or use listening equipment.
- Establish which side of the stop tap it is on.Close the internal stopcock and re-read the meter over an hour. If the meter still turns with the internal stopcock closed, the leak is between the meter and the house — on your supply pipe. If the meter stops, the leak is inside the property.
- Report it to the water company anyway.Even where the pipe is yours, report it. They will usually confirm the location with listening equipment free of charge, tell you which side of the boundary it is on, and open a leak allowance case. Reporting also protects you against a large metered bill.
- Ask about the free repair scheme.Many water companies operate a policy of repairing a customer's supply pipe leak once, free or at reduced cost, particularly for a first occurrence or where the pipe is lead. The terms vary a great deal between companies and are on their website — it is always worth asking rather than assuming.
- Ask about the leak allowance.Water companies operate leak allowance schemes that credit the bill for water lost through a leak you could not reasonably have known about, usually once, and usually conditional on repairing it promptly. Apply as soon as the repair is done and keep the invoice.
- Get the repair done properly.The usual approach is to replace the whole supply pipe rather than patch it, typically with modern blue MDPE, either in a trench or moled under the garden. Replacing rather than repairing removes the next leak too, and is often what the water company's scheme funds.
- Deal with lead while you are there.If the existing supply pipe is lead, replacing it is the moment to be rid of it. Many water companies will replace their side of a lead communication pipe free if you replace yours at the same time — the two jobs together are far cheaper than either alone later.
Tips
- Take the meter reading yourself at intervals over a week rather than relying on one test. A slow leak shows more clearly over time.
- Do not let a contractor dig up a garden before the leak has been located acoustically. Digging along the whole run is an expensive way to find something a listening stick finds in ten minutes.
- Photograph the trench and the new pipe before it is backfilled. It is the record of where the pipe now runs and it is worth having.
- Get the leak allowance application in as soon as the repair is complete. Some schemes have time limits from the date of repair.
If it doesn't work
Wet patch or lush green grass on the front lawn in dry weather
Cause: The supply pipe is leaking below it — Fix: It is rarely directly above the leak — water tracks along the pipe trench. Report it and let the water company locate it acoustically before anyone digs.
Water bill has jumped with no change in use
Cause: A hidden leak, often on the buried supply pipe — Fix: Do the meter test, report it, and apply for the leak allowance. Companies expect this and have a process for it.
Meter turns with the internal stopcock closed
Cause: The leak is on the buried supply pipe between the meter and the house — Fix: That is your pipe. Report it, ask about the repair scheme, and get quotes for a full replacement rather than a patch.
Water running into the meter chamber itself
Cause: A leak at the meter or on the communication pipe — Fix: That side is the water company's and they will attend, usually promptly and at no cost.
Neighbours affected too
Cause: A shared supply pipe serving several houses — Fix: Shared supplies complicate responsibility, since the pipe is jointly owned by the properties it serves. The water company will advise, and some run schemes specifically to separate shared supplies.
Questions people ask
What if I am not metered?
An unmetered bill does not change with a leak, so there is no financial urgency from the bill — but you still have a duty not to waste water, and a leak under a garden can undermine paving and foundations. Report it and get it fixed.
Is it covered by home insurance?
Some buildings policies cover trace and access, and some cover the repair of underground services. It varies enormously between policies and is worth checking before paying out of pocket.
How long can a supply pipe leak go unnoticed?
Years. A small leak into free-draining ground shows no surface sign at all, and on an unmetered supply there is no bill signal either. The meter test is the only reliable way to know.