Leaks on your property

Not all leaks are preventable but there are actions you can take to minimise the risk:

• Colder months can create issues with your internal pipework. Check that your pipework, toilet cisterns and water tanks in lofts and cellars are well insulated, using waterproof foam lagging or insulated tape. 
• Keeping your heating on a constant low during colder months helps to keep pipework warm.
• If you’re going away, ask your neighbours to pop round to check your pipes haven’t frozen or burst. 

Yorkshire Water are responsible for maintaining the pipework beyond the boundary of your property. This includes service pipes and water mains. 

Any leaks found internally or within the property boundary, including the supply pipe, are the homeowner’s responsibility to fix.

If you see any water dripping from the water meter, even in dry weather, please get in touch.

If you are a tenant or live in social housing, as the consumer of water it is your responsibility to contact your landlord or housing association to arrange repair. 

If you're a business customer, please read our leakage advice for businesses.

Find out more about pipe responsibility

Leaks can cause significant damage to your home if they are not repaired quickly, if you are on a meter, you will be paying for this lost water.

You will need to get the leak repaired within 30 days or we may send you a Section 75 legal notice of the Water Industry Act 1991. This allows us to complete the repair work which you may be charged for

If you're on a shared supply, all the households which are on the joint supply are responsible for maintaining and repairing any leaks.

Find out more about pipe responsibility

If you have a letter from us and want to find out more about where your leak could be please use our leak test.

We recommend using an approved plumber which you can find through Watersafe.

If you have any queries about how this impacts your bill, please contact us at 0345 1 24 24 24 and one of our agents will be able to help.

Make sure your plumber has checked both inside and outside your property, as the leak could be on your supply pipe.

We recommend using an approved plumber, a plumber experienced in locating leaks, which you can find through Watersafe.

Yorkshire Water shall not reimburse any costs incurred locating the leak or fixing the leak, such as a plumber, dig team or insurance excess. 

We have several Financial support schemes, if you are on one or think you qualify for one and may qualify for a free repair, please call us on 0345 1242424 and select option 2, or visit our help to pay page for more information.

If you’re on a meter, then you could be entitled to an allowance.

The leak must have been repaired or you've asked us to look into the problem in the last 28 days. The leak must not have been caused by your negligence.

This allowance will be either for excess water charges from a leak or for wastage from faulty plumbing.

You may only claim once. If the pipe we repaired leaks again and it's still under guarantee, you might get another allowance.

If you get an allowance, we'll work this out based on the amount of water you normally use. 

If we can’t find that out, we’ll base it on what a typical customer like you would use.

If your actual water use is different from our estimate after the leak has been repaired, we may review the allowance.

Not all properties have a water meter. To have one installed please request a meter.

If you have a meter, it will either, be located internally, usually under the kitchen sink, or externally in the footpath.

Most properties will have an internal stop tap which is usually located under the kitchen sink.

Some internal stop taps can be located in downstairs toilets or even in cellars.

All properties will have an external stop tap which is normally found outside your home. Common placed for external stop taps include front gardens, near the front door or in the footpath in front of your house.

It is the responsibility of the homeowner to have a working internal stop tap.

If your internal stop tap is broken, please arrange a plumber to fix the issue to enable yourself to isolate the water if you need to. 

Find a plumber through WaterSafe

If you're a business customer, please read our leakage advice for businesses.

The Priority Services Register (PSR) is free to join. It helps utility companies, like us to look after customers who have extra communication, access, or safety needs. It helps us tailor our services to support customers who need extra help with everyday matters like bills, and in the unlikely event of water supply interruption.

Register for Priority Services