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Waikato District Council - Te Kaunihera aa Takiwaa o Waikato

Waters leaks and supply interruptions

Last updated 27 September 2024, 02:46 pm

Have you spotted a leak or experiencing disruptions to your water supply? Find out what could be causing this and who is responsible for fixing any issues below.

Water Leaks

The biggest source of wasted water is leaks and who fixes water leaks depends on where the leak is. 

Council responsibility

Councils owns everything up to and including the water meter or valve on your property line.

If you spot a leak that is less than a garden tap on full coming from a water meter, footpath, or anywhere else outside private property, please contact our team on 0800 492 452 or lodge a request through our online system.

Request a service

Leaks that are more than a garden tap on full are classed as urgent, please phone our team on 0800 492 452 as soon as possible.

Owner responsibility

If you find any leaks on pipes or fittings that are on the property side of the water meter is the responsibility of the property owner, please contact your plumber.

A simple way to see if you are losing water is to:

  1. Pick a time when no water will be used for at least four hours (e.g. overnight)
  2. Read your water meter - remember to right down it down!
  3. Turn off your taps on your property - you need to be able to see if the meter dial still moves while you are not using water.
  4. Read it again after the period of not using any water
  5.  If the water dial is still moving or your meter reads are different, you have may have a leak and need to call a plumber

 
Water supply interruptions

From time to time, you may experience interruptions to your water supply. This will can be caused by work on the water network in your area, planned or unplanned water shutdowns.

Here are some common experiences and what you can do.

Cloudy, white or milky water is caused by air bubbles in the water and is completely harmless.

Run your tap for 10 minutes, if the water does not clear, please contact our team on 0800 492 452 or lodge a request through our online system.

Request a service

Yellow or brown water can be caused by sediment within the water pipes.

Discolouration can easily be cleared by running a the cold tap on full for 10 minutes or until the water runs clear. If the water does not clear, please contact our team on 0800 492 452 or lodge a request through our online system.

Request a service

Discolouration can also be caused by rusting iron pipes at home, if this is the case, please contact a plumber.

If your water isn’t running like it normally does (low pressure) or your toilet is not refilling, this can be caused by an airlock or residue blocking part of the fillings or works taking place to the water lines in the area.

Turn on an outside tap on for 10 – 15 minutes, if it does not come right, please contact our team on 0800 492 452

Council adds chlorine to disinfect the water.

This is not harmful, and the smell will not continue for long. 

Capture the water in a bucket and:

  • use in your garden or on your household plants; or
  • use it to clean your car, boat, or family dog; or
  • use it to top up your pool; or
  • start a collection in a water tank / rain barrel for watering the garden when it is dry and hot.
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