Water Leaks in the Home

Checking for and repairing leaks around your home could save up to 19,000 litres of water a year.

Repairing leaks can also help to prevent issues like reduced water pressure or water supply disruptions potentially affecting your home.

Here are some simple checks that you can carry out in your home to determine if there are any internal plumbing issues causing leaks:

Check the toilet

Is there a constant sound of water running from any of the toilet cisterns in your home? Check for a stream of water running inside the toilet bowl or place a piece of toilet paper on the inside back of the toilet bowl and see if it absorbs water.

Check the water storage tank

Can you hear the water storage tank (usually located in the attic) refilling when water-consuming appliances are not in use or a toilet has not been recently flushed? It’s useful to carry out this check at night when it’s quiet. You can also check for signs of water coming from overflow pipes leading from the water storage tank, usually seen on the external wall on the side of your home.

Check all taps

Check all your household and external garden taps for drips. A dripping tap can waste over 1,500 litres of water per year (which is enough water to fill 20 bathtubs) and can be repaired by simply replacing the washer.

Check water-consuming appliances

Is there a constant sound of water running from any of the toilet cisterns in your home? Check for a stream of water running inside the toilet bowl or place a piece of toilet paper on the inside back of the toilet bowl and see if it absorbs water.

You can contact a plumber for advice or to carry out leak repairs in your home if necessary. You can also visit our Leak Detection page for step-by-step instructions on how to test for a leak on your property’s external water supply pipe using your water meter.

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