Water leaks, bursts, flooding

If water is leaking or flooding outside the boundary of your property, for example on the road or footpath, we will repair it promptly and restore water supplies.

Sewage overflows, blocked drains

If any sewage/wastewater flooding is caused by a problem in our public wastewater network, we will repair it as quickly as possible.

There is a range of ways to report an issue in the street or other public space:

• Call us on (09) 442 2222, press 1

• Email faults@water.co.nz   

• Free text 3130

Learn more about overflows

Leak

If the leak is inside your house or within your grounds, it is probably a fault within your own supply pipe, which you are responsible for. A leak can cause high water bills if you don’t fix it.

Check for a leak

Leak repairs
 

Blocked drain/sewage overflow

Before you call a plumber, contact us. We will assess, at no cost to you, whether the cause is in the public wastewater network or in your private drainage system.

• Call us on (09) 442 2222, press 1

• Email faults@water.co.nz   

• Free text 3130

For more help and advice, go to Wastewater overflows

If there is little or no water running from your taps, you can take steps to find the cause.

1. Are all taps affected? If it is just one tap, the cause will likely be in your private plumbing. You will need to contact a plumber to fix the problem. If all taps have no water, go to step 2.

2. Check that the tap (also known as the gate valve) on your water meter is turned on. If it has been turned off or is partly open, turn it anticlockwise to fully open. How to find your meter

3. If the meter tap is already on, the cause may be a fault or temporary water outage nearby.

For planned works we will normally notify you 24 hours before. If we are working near you, keep checking our updates for when we will restore the water supply.

If there are emergency works in your area, we cannot always notify you. Our main focus is to restore service to your property. When there is an interruption to the water supply, we will aim to restore service within 5 hours from the time the crew arrives on site. Repair times may vary, depending on what is required on site, e.g. traffic management.

4. If the above do not apply, please contact us:

• Phone (09) 442 2222, press 1
• Email faults@water.co.nz
• Free text 3130

If you can’t turn off a tap at your property, there is likely to be a problem with your private pipes. You will need to call a plumber.

There are a number of reasons for these water quality issues. Usually there is a simple explanation and there is no cause for alarm.

• For more information, phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 1. If necessary we will test the water and return the results as soon as they are available.

If you think your water is making you ill, we recommend you see your doctor as soon as you can.

Discoloured water

Does your water look rusty, cloudy, white, or have a blue or green tinge? The cause may be in the public water pipes, or your private plumbing. To find out where our pipes connect to yours see Who is responsible for pipes.

In our pipes:  The most common cause of colour in water is naturally occurring minerals.

In your pipes: Your private water pipes can corrode and colour the water. Iron produces a brownish colour, and copper produces a faint blue colour. Learn about metals in your water

If you have discoloured water, turn on (flush) your outside tap for about 10-15 minutes to clear your private water pipes. Use the hose tap closest to the water meter. Don't use any water in the house while you do this.

If the problem remains, please phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 1.

Send a photo

To help us find the cause, you can email a photo or video of the water to faults@water.co.nz

Water tastes different

For any problems with the taste of your water, please phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 1.

If you are the only property affected we will respond within 24 hours. See also Drinking water quality

Water smells different

For any problems with water odour, please phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 1. 

If you are the only property affected we will respond within 24 hours. See also Drinking water quality

In normal circumstances we provide residential properties with water pressure of at least 200kPa and a flow rate of at least 25 litres per minute.
 

I have low water pressure

1. Check that the tap on your water meter is turned on. If it has been turned off or is partly open, turn it anticlockwise to fully open. How to find your meter. The diagram shows where the stop tap/gate valve is.

2. If the meter tap is on, the cause of low pressure may be a fault or temporary water outage nearby.

If we are doing work near you, keep checking our updates for when we will restore the water supply.
 

If the pressure is still low after these checks …

• Contact a plumber if:

  • the low pressure is only in one tap, and

  • it only affects hot water.

• Contact us if the low pressure affects any of these:

  • all taps

  • the cold water

  • both the cold and hot water.

Please phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 1.
 

I have high water pressure

Here are some steps to try:

1. Turn down the tap on your water meter, a little at a time, to reduce the flow. See How to find your meter.  The diagram shows where the stop tap/gate valve is.
2. ​You could consider installing pressure-reducing valves (PRV) on your private pipework. A PRV allows water to flow into it and reduces the pressure to the required setting. You can do this yourself, or engage a plumber.

My meter is leaking

To find who is responsible for fixing the leak, please check the water meter diagram. This shows where our responsibilities end and yours begin.

• If the leak is on your side of the meter, you will need to call a plumber.
• ​If it is on our side of the meter, please phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 1.
• To speed the process up you can email an image or video to faults@water.co.nz. This will help us find where the leak is, and prioritise the fault accordingly.

The meter is not recording my water use correctly

If you think your water bill is incorrect, the first step is to check the causes of a high bill: Higher bill than usual.

The next step is to Check for a leak.

If you have eliminated the common causes of a high bill, it is helpful to contact us. If we can confirm that your meter is working correctly, you will save the cost of a meter test. Phone (09) 442 2222, press 1.

Can I have my meter tested? 

If you have eliminated a leak as the cause of a high bill and believe your meter is faulty, you can contact us to arrange for an independent meter engineer to check your water meter.

When we test a meter for accuracy of measuring your water use, we allow a leeway of 3 per cent above or below the correct result.

To request a meter test:

What is the charge for the test?

• If the meter is working correctly, you will have to pay the current bill, and the cost of the test. (For costs see Other charges.) {anchor link to HTML page}
• If the meter is not working correctly, we will adjust your latest bill to what an average bill would be, and cover the cost of the test. We will replace the meter free of charge.

Do you have another meter problem?

If there is a smell coming from a sewer or drain on your property or in a public space, phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 1.

If the smell is from a wastewater treatment plant, please call (09) 442 2222, press 1. We take all complaints about odours from our plants seriously. We will investigate and tell you the outcome within one hour.

You will need to contact a plumber to fix the blockage.

Read about your responsibilities for repairing private plumbing.