Arranging leak repair
When you have a leak on your property, you must fix it within four weeks of finding it, or us reporting it to you. This is to protect our water supply and the environment.
Confirming a leak
You may receive a letter or email from us advising you that we've identified a leak at your property. Whether you find the leak or we do, it's your responsibility to arrange repair within four weeks.
How to arrange repair
Check your cover
With any leak at home, the first thing you should do is check your home insurance or emergency policy. If applicable, your insurance company will help you arrange and cover the cost of leak repair.
If you aren't covered, you must arrange repair yourself. To do this, we recommend using an approved plumber or groundwork contractor.
Find an approved plumber or contractor
The type of help you'll need depends on where your leak is:
Indoor plumbing
For leak repair inside your home, we recommend choosing a WaterSafe approved plumber.
This will ensure the work meets high standards and protects the quality of drinking water in your home. If you decide to use your own plumber, we may come out to check that the leak has been fixed properly. We'll charge you for any further repairs we carry out, if their work doesn't meet our standards.
Outdoor plumbing
If the leak is outside your home, but still on your property, you'll need specialist groundwork contractors. They can carry out leak detection.
We recommend choosing an approved WaterSafe contractor. They're recognised by water company schemes including APLUS, WaterMark and WIAPS. They also work in compliance with the Water Fittings Regulations and Byelaws.
Disclaimer
- Your contract will be with the approved plumber/contractor and not Thames Water. We can't give assurance of their availability or guarantee their work
- We won't get involved in any contractual disputes between you and the plumber or groundwork contractor.
- We recommended that you obtain at least one quote before employing any contractor
- We recommend that you ask in advance, whether there is a charge for giving a quote
- Please ensure you receive a certificate of water regulations compliance from the plumber or groundwork contractor, after they have completed the work
- Please ensure that the work is carried out or witnessed by one of the named persons listed as being approved for that company
If you don't fix a leak
If you don't arrange repair within four weeks, we may serve you with legal notice under Section 75 of the Water Industry Act 1991. This gives us the power to carry out and charge you for repair works. At this point, we’ll no longer be able to cover all the costs of the leak on your bill, if you're on a meter.
View our leakage code of practice for further information.
Help and advice
Get in touch if you need any advice or assistance. We want to help you resolve the problem so our supply and environment are protected. If you've registered for financial support or priority services, we may be able to help.
Check leak responsibility if you're not sure who owns your pipes.
WhatsApp us
Message us on WhatsApp, so you can get on with your day and respond at your pace. We're available 24/7.