What to do if you have a mains water leak

Mains water leaks can occur both outside (between your external stopcock or water meter and the internal stopcock) and inside your property (beyond the internal stopcock). These leaks are particularly troublesome because they result in continuous water loss at high pressure, potentially causing significant damage.

Some common signs of a mains leak include:

• Unexpectedly high water bills
• A constantly spinning water meter
• Confirmation of a leak from your water supplier
• Receiving a Section 75 Notice from your water supplier
• A water tank that’s continually emptying
• A hot water pump running non-stop
• Visible damp, water damage, or mould
• Subsidence or soggy, boggy ground
• Water pooling on the surface or unexplained flooding
• Low water pressure
• High usage of water softener salt
• Clear water running through your drains
• The sound of water flowing or dripping
• A persistent ceiling leak that stops when the stopcock is shut off

The silver lining? Mains leaks are usually among the easiest to locate.

We use a variety of advanced techniques to pinpoint the exact location of the leak quickly and with minimal disruption to your home.

• Gas Tracing: This method involves injecting an inert tracer gas into the mains pipe under pressure. A sensitive probe detects where the gas escapes through the ground, walls, or floors, revealing the leak.
• Moisture Meter: This tool maps hidden damp areas caused by escaping water.
• Endoscopic Camera: Ideal for inspecting pipes in hard-to-reach areas, such as within walls or floor voids.
• Acoustic Microphone: Detects the sound of water escaping from the mains pipe.
• CAT & Genny: Maps the underground path of your mains pipe, helping us locate the leak accurately.

Once we’ve identified the problem, our experienced engineers, who are also skilled plumbers, can often carry out the repair on the same day. In some cases, if the repair requires additional work, we’ll schedule a follow-up visit. After the repair, we retest the system to ensure the leak has been properly fixed and check for any additional issues. Since our engineers are dedicated to just one job per day, they can continue further leak detection if necessary without any rush.