SUPPORTING YOU TO FIX YOUR LEAK

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1 SUPPORTING YOU TO FIX YOUR LEAK Your guide to water supply pipe

2 Helping you to repair leaks is one of our top priorities. We know how worrying leaks can be and we want to give you the best advice to look after your water pipes and help you to find and fix leaks as quickly as possible. This leaflet will explain who is responsible for a leak and how we can support you to get it fixed. WHO S RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING LEAKS? What we re responsible for Essex & Suffolk Water owns the water pipes in the public highway. This includes the pipe connecting the water main in the street to the stopcock or meter outside your property. We are responsible for maintaining and repairing leaks on these pipes up to the point where the street and your property boundary meet. What you re responsible for If you are the homeowner you (or your landlord) own all of the water pipes on your property and are responsible for repairing or replacing these if a leak occurs. This includes underground pipes in your garden or driveway as well as the pipes inside your home. If you share the responsibility of your water supply pipe with your neighbours the responsibility and costs are shared between the properties. Sometimes it s difficult to tell who is responsible for a pipe, and if you need help we are always happy to advise you. Call us on Street boundary External stop tap OWNER S RESPONSIBILITY You are responsible for the underground pipes in your garden or driveway and pipes inside your home. ESSEX & SUFFOLK WATER S RESPONSIBILITY We are responsible for maintaining and fixing pipes in the road and pavement. Water main The diagram above shows examples of property boundaries and responsibilities.

3 HOW TO TEST FOR LEAKS If you re a metered customer 1. Turn off your water at the internal stop tap (normally located under the kitchen sink). 2. Locate your water meter which is normally located in the footpath outside the front of your property. 3. Open the meter chamber and remove the polystyrene protection. 4. If the small meter dial is moving while the water is turned off you may have a leak. 5. Take regular readings so that you get to know the amount of water you use. This can also help identify early on if you have a leak. You can also visit our website, where you can find a useful how to do a self leak test video. HOW TO PREVENT LEAKS More leaks happen during the cold winter months than any other time of the year. You can take some simple steps to reduce the risks of leaks caused by frozen pipes such as insulating water tanks and lagging pipes, valves and fittings and fixing dripping taps. For more advice on protecting the water pipes in your home during cold weather please visit our website.

4 HOW TO GET LEAKS FIXED If you have a leak on your private supply pipe. We are here to help you get it fixed as soon as possible. Here s what to do: 1. Contact us Call us on to let us know about the leak and where it s located. We ll let you know who is responsible for the repair. If you have a smartphone, you can download our free app (available for Apple and Android devices) called NWG Utileyes to help us quickly identify the location of the leak. With your permission the app will let us access your smart phone camera so we can see what you are looking at. 2. Check your home insurance Check your home insurance as you may be covered for the repairs under your household insurance policy. If you re a tenant, contact your landlord who may be responsible for the repairs. 3. Do you have separate home emergency insurance cover? Have you taken out a separate insurance policy, with a home assistance provider, for example HomeServe, to cover leaks on your water supply pipe? If you have, give them a call. 4. Not covered by insurance* We can help you to pay for the costs of the repair with our 12 month interest free** payment option, if you don t have any insurance cover for fixing leaks. For a free quotation contact our specialist leak repair company, NWG Pipeline Solutions on Alternatively, you can visit or call to find a list of approved plumbers in your area. We may be able to help you pay for the pipe repair if someone in your household receives certain benefits or tax credits. ** If you default on the payment plan the full amount may be due. Terms and conditions apply. 5. Once your leak has been repaired Please let us know the leak has been repaired by calling If you have a water meter we ll ask you to provide us with two meter readings, four weeks apart. This will help us to calculate any allowance that may be due. + For more information about leak allowances please visit our website or call If you need help with reading your meter we can help, please get in touch.

5 HELPING YOU TO SAVE MONEY Having a water meter makes it easy to spot leaks early and many customers save money by having a water meter fitted. If you don t have a water meter, why not find out if you can save money too by using our online calculator at. We supply and fit water meters for free. COMPREHENSIVE PLUMBING COVER We work with HomeServe*, one of the UK s leading home assistance providers, to offer our customers cover for a wide range of plumbing problems. Plumbing and Drainage Plus + covers things like bursts to your water supply pipe, even if it s under your home, as well as blocked drains and smaller problems like dripping taps. With cover through HomeServe you ll benefit from: Their free 24 hour UK helpline, available 365 days a year Access to their network of approved plumbers No excess or repair bills to pay within the generous cover limits To arrange cover, or to find out more call HomeServe on Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Lines open Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-4pm and Sun 10am-4pm. Calls are recorded for quality control and training purposes. *There are other companies who can also provide this type of insurance policy. +You must be the homeowner of a house or property where you permanently reside. HomeServe is a trading name of HomeServe Membership Ltd. Both Northumbrian Water Group Limited and HomeServe Membership Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Northumbrian Water Limited is Northumbrian Water Group Limited s Appointed Representative as defined in the Glossary to the FCA Handbook.

6 For help and advice about an ongoing leak: To repair a leak: To report a leak in the street: For help and advice about your bill: us through our website at: To arrange cover through HomeServe: IMPORTANT INFORMATION! * Please be aware that we are required to instigate a legal process if you do not repair the leak within 30 days of the leak being confirmed. This process can result in additional costs for yourself or your landlord. + An allowance will only be given if the leak is repaired within 30 days. For more information about leak allowances, visit our website or call