Report a fault

Pick the issue you're concerned about

Leaks and breaks 

Leaks can be any flowing or trickling clear water, or damp patches that don't dry up. A puddle or pool after heavy rain may not be due to a leak. If the leak smells like wastewater – whether it's on your property or in a public space – it could be a wastewater blockage. Anytime you see an unusual amount of water in a public space, call us straight away on 13 20 90 24/7. 

If the leak's between your water meter and your building, you'll need to call a licensed plumber. However, if you have a leaking water meter or meter tap, or a leak in your property's pipes between the water meter and the street, we may fix it – call 13 20 90 24/7.

Tips to determine if the leak is between your water meter and your building:

  • If water's flowing on your property, turn off the tap on your water meter. If the flow stops, the leak is in your pipes.
  • If it's a slow leak, you can do a leak test to see if the issue is in pipes between the meter and your building.

For minor leaks like showerheads, toilets and taps inside your home, contact your local plumber or WaterFix Residential.

When to report a leak or break

For leaks in public spaces – particularly if they smell like wastewater – call us immediately on 13 20 90 24/7. We'll take action. For non-urgent leaks on footpaths, nature strips or roads you'd like us to investigate, you can report a leak online.

Report a leak

In an emergency, call 13 20 90 24/7

Not sure if the fault is in your private pipes or in our network?
Call us on 13 20 90 24/7. We can help you identify where the fault's located. It might be a job for your local plumber.

No water or low pressure

Before you report a fault, see if there's something else going on at your property or in your area that explains the issue.

Check the meter tap at the boundary of your property and make sure that it's fully on. A meter tap, which is usually next to the water meter, controls the water supply to your property. You can turn it on and off, but can't connect a hose to it or use it to fill a bucket. It may look like a standard tap or a lever. Turn it in the direction of the arrow till you feel resistance. Use a spanner if you need to, but don't force it. The tap won't turn if it's fully on. Find out about your meter.

Maybe you missed a flyer about planned maintenance work in your area. It's possible we tried to let you and your neighbours know ahead of time that your water supply would be affected. 

To see if emergency repairs are underway, check for water supply and service updates in your area. For updates on planned works, you can register for service alerts.

It’s possible we have a crew doing repair work nearby, maybe in response to an emergency. They may have had to turn the water off. 

To see if emergency repairs are underway, check for water supply and service updates in your area. For updates on planned works, you can register for service alerts.

If we’ve restricted the water supply, there should be a slow flow of water into the property. If you own the property, you can check your account balance. To arrange a payment and have your water restored, call us on 13 20 92 from 8am to 5:30pm Monday–Friday or 13 20 90 after hours. We’ll do what we can to help.

Sub-zero mornings don’t happen every day. But if it's extra cold, maybe the water in your pipes has turned to ice. Don’t pour hot water on frozen pipes – they can crack. They'll thaw naturally as the day warms up. 

Next time a cold snap's on the way, insulate your above-ground pipes and meter with a bucket, plastic tub or cardboard box, or wrap them in foam, rubber, crumpled newspaper or a towel. Or put half a tyre over your meter for the whole winter.

Still have issues? Let us know.

There may be other reasons why the water from your taps is only trickling or you have no water at all. If you've checked the possible causes above and still can't explain an ongoing water supply issue, report it online or call 13 20 90 24/7. Either way, we'll escalate the issue.

Report no water

In an emergency, call 13 20 90 24/7

Not sure if the fault is in your private pipes or in our network?
Call us on 13 20 90 24/7. We can help you identify where the fault's located. It might be a job for your local plumber.

Wastewater blockage

Overflows caused by wastewater blockages (or sewer chokes) happen when something inside a pipe stops it working properly. They can be anything from a backed-up toilet to hazardous overflows in bushland, in waterways, in parks, on the street or in your own backyard.

If an overflow or backed-up wastewater occurs only while you're using water on your property (particularly if only some of your services are affected), you must get a licensed plumber's assessment as soon as possible.

If you're unsure of where the blockage is, or there are overflows on your property even when you aren't using your services, treat it as an emergency and call us on 13 20 90 24/7.

Public spaces include council-owned land or reserves, and footpaths and roadways. We need to investigate urgently. Please report any wastewater overflows as soon as possible.

Don't delay – call us straight away

If you smell or see a wastewater overflow in a public space, please call us immediately on 13 20 90 24/7. For any ongoing issues you'd like us to investigate, you can email us.

In an emergency, call 13 20 90 24/7

Not sure if the fault is in your private pipes or in our network?
Call us on 13 20 90 24/7. We can help you identify where the fault's located. It might be a job for your local plumber.

Bad smell

If you’ve picked up a whiff of wastewaster, trust your nose. It might be the first sign of something serious. If you can't pin down the source, call us right away on 13 20 90 24/7. If your tap water has a strange odour, find out more about drinking water quality.

If the odour is coming from your floor wastes, try pouring a small bucket of water with disinfectant into them. This replenishes water sitting in seals and traps, and helps dissolve odours. If the smell is from issues in your own pipe, you'll need to call a plumber.

If the smell only occurs when you use a tap or drain on your property, it's not something we can help with. You'll need to call a plumber. However, if the smell occurs regularly in a public space, call us on 13 20 90 24/7 to investigate.

If you think the smell could be coming from our pipes or from one of our sites, treat it as an emergency. Call us on 13 20 90 24/7.

Please let us know if you have concerns

If the bad smell is an ongoing issue you'd like us to investigate, please email us. If you smell wastewater in a public space, call us right away on 13 20 90 24/7.

Email us

In an emergency, call 13 20 90 24/7

Not sure if the fault is in your private pipes or in our network?
Call us on 13 20 90 24/7. We can help you identify where the fault's located. It might be a job for your local plumber.

Drinking water quality

We test and monitor drinking water for safety. Usually there's nothing to worry about, even if it looks, smells or tastes unusual. Learn where your safe drinking water comes from, or get today's daily drinking water quality report for your area. If water from just one of your taps is affected, call a licensed plumber.

Colour

If the water from all your taps has changed colour, we might be working on water pipes nearby. Your neighbours will be affected, too. To see if emergency repairs are underway, check for water supply and service updates in your area. For updates on planned works, you can register for service alerts.

Your water should run clear after a few minutes once repairs are complete. If it doesn't, call us on 13 20 90 24/7. 

If discoloured water is only coming from one tap, fittings on your property may be old or need repair. Try running the cold tap for 30 seconds to see if it goes clear. If discoloured water only comes from hot taps, your hot water service may need to be repaired or replaced. Either way, you should call a licensed plumber.

If water from all your taps is discoloured, there may be some other reason. Double check that water from the tap closest to the meter is discoloured too. If you can't find an explanation, please email us. If it's an emergency, call us on 13 20 90 24/7.

Taste or odour

A metallic or chlorine taste or smell in your water could be due to the chlorine we add to drinking water to kill germs. It's how we keep it safe. To understand what's in your tap water, check out water analysis.

Let your tap water stand in a jug for an hour or so, or keep it in the fridge. The taste and odour should vanish. 

For ongoing issues you want us to investigate, please email us. For something you're experiencing right now, call us on 13 20 90 24/7.

Cloudiness

Cloudiness is caused by tiny air bubbles in water coming out of a tap, nothing more. Your water should clear from the bottom of your glass up in around 30 seconds.

Black specks

If the black specks come from just one tap, it's likely the rubber from the tap washer or O-ring has worn out or perished. If you’re feeling handy, you can find out how to change a tap washer yourself. Otherwise, call a plumber. 

If black specks only come from hot taps, your hot water service may need to be repaired or replaced. Call a licensed plumber.

If the water from all your taps has black specks, we might be working on water pipes nearby and a main has broken. Your neighbours will be affected, too. Once repairs are complete, the water should run clear in a few minutes. 

To see if emergency repairs are underway, check for water supply and service updates in your area. For updates on planned works, you can register for service alerts.

Health issues

For any health concerns, contact us immediately. Call us on 13 20 90 24/7.

Please let us know if you have concerns

If your water quality is an ongoing issue you'd like us to investigate, please email us. For something you're experiencing right now, or in an emergency, call us on 13 20 90 24/7. 

Email us

In an emergency, call 13 20 90 24/7

Not sure if the fault is in your private pipes or in our network?
Call us on 13 20 90 24/7. We can help you identify where the fault's located. It might be a job for your local plumber.

Something else

We’ve tried to cover the faults that get reported most often. But please also email us if you spot something out of the ordinary that we need to know about and fix. There might be damage at one of our sites. Or you might have spotted a broken Sydney Water asset. Thanks for taking the time to help us keep our services working safely.

Email us

In an emergency, call 13 20 90 24/7

Not sure if the fault is in your private pipes or our network?
Call us on 13 20 90 24/7. We can help you identify where the fault's located. It might be a job for your local plumber.