Leak detection and repair in Bristol

The line is the stop tap at your boundary, normally in a small box in the pavement. Ofwat says the water company looks after the main and the communication pipe up to that point. The supply pipe from there into the house, and everything inside, belongs to the owner.

That surprises a lot of people. In August 2026 BBC Bristol reported that residents in Clevedon faced bills of about £5,000 each for a leak on a private supply pipe that had run for more than a year. Finding a supply pipe leak early is far cheaper.

If the leak is on an underground supply pipe, Bristol Water says it offers:

• up to half an hour of free leak detection with advice on next steps
• an automatic £100 subsidy for homeowners once it has confirmed a leak is repaired, one payment per leaky pipe
• a £250 subsidy if you replace the leaking supply pipe within 21 days
• a leakage allowance on metered bills if the leak is fixed within 21 days

If you have had a Leakage Notice, check the deadline. Bristol Water says some are shorter than 21 days when a lot of water is being lost. We can give you the paperwork it asks for once the repair is done.

Older Bristol homes have long, buried pipe runs. Victorian terraces often have a lead or old iron supply running under the front garden and the hallway floor. Georgian houses in Clifton have long runs under suspended timber floors, so a leak can travel a long way before it shows on a ceiling. In 1980s and 1990s homes in Bradley Stoke, it is more often a push fit joint behind a kitchen unit or in the airing cupboard.

If your supply pipe turns out to be lead, it is worth checking whether Bristol Water's LeadFreeBristol scheme covers your street. It is working in BS16 at the moment and replaces lead supply pipes at no cost where it can.

Before booking, a few checks can narrow it down. Lift the toilet cistern lids and look for water still trickling into the pan long after a flush. Bristol's hard water often leaves scale on fill valves and flush seals, so this is a very common hidden leak. Look in the loft for an overflowing tank, and outside for a dripping overflow pipe. Check under the kitchen sink and behind the washing machine.

If you have a meter, Bristol Water's meter test tells you whether water is escaping at all. If your meter is outside, shut the inside stop tap and repeat the test. If the meter still moves, the leak is probably on the supply pipe between the meter and the house. If it stops, the leak is inside. Either result helps us bring the right kit.