Storm Darragh

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Updated: 16:30 11 December 2024

Our services continue to be impacted by power supply issues which could result in interruptions to water supplies or low pressure for some customers, mainly in rural areas. Our teams are working hard to maintain supplies and working closely with all other agencies - including the energy companies - to restore all supplies safely and as quickly as possible.

Go to In Your Area for further information.

Dealing with water leaks


All the information you need for finding and managing leaks and bursts.

Why do leaks happen?

Sometimes leaks occur and this can be due to the age of the pipe, a weakness in the pipe, leaking fittings or joints and movement in the ground.

We look after over 27,500km of Water Mains across Wales and Parts of England – that’s enough pipe to reach from Cardiff to Sydney and half way back again! And this doesn’t include the communication pipes, or service pipes which supply your homes.

If there's a problem on our network, here's what you can expect of us

We aim to investigate and repair leaks as quickly as possible.

We know it’s frustrating to have reported a leak and not see it repaired immediately, but there are generally very good reasons for why we haven’t fixed it yet.

It isn’t always straight forward, and several factors will influence how and when we can get it resolved.

The following steps outline what will happen once you have contacted us and how long it usually takes us to deal with most leaks; but please be aware that our timeline is for guidance and could be subject to amendment due to emergency work or environmental conditions.

How long it could take to fix the problem

Testing if you have a water leak at home

We want to do everything we can to encourage our customers to detect and repair leaks as quickly as possible. This helps us to reduce leakage and for you to potentially save large amounts of money.

You may have a leak if you notice:

  • Areas of lush vegetation
  • A big drop in water pressure
  • A hissing noise near your internal stop tap
  • Damp patches on the ground
  • An unexplained change on your bill.

Find out how to test for a water leak here.

Leakage Responsibility

If your pipe has burst, don’t panic.

  • Try to find where the burst is - and turn off the supply by turning the stop tap clockwise.
  • Open all taps to reduce flooding.
  • Soak up or block off escaping water with thick towels
  • Turn off your electrics: if the water is near anything electrical - including lights, sockets or appliances - don’t touch them. Electrical wiring damaged by water can be very dangerous and you’ll probably need to call a professional to repair damage.
  • Call a registered plumber - if you need help to repair a burst pipe, contact a Watersafe-assured plumber.