Faults and outages FAQs

If you see a burst pipe or other fault on public property, the quickest and easiest way to report it is via LiveChat or our bot. Look for the orange pop-up on the homepage of this website. Click here to return to home.

If you'd prefer to report the fault over the phone, you can contact us on (09) 442 2222 option 1.


Report a fault


If you have a blocked drain on your property, please contact us before you contact a plumber:


For information and support, see:

Check for a leak

Plumbing and wastewater


The cost is between 22 cents and 50 cents, based on the cost of running a shower. We don’t give credits for flushing discoloured water.


You should call a plumber for problems with pipes or other fittings on your side of the water meter. For details, see Who is responsible for pipes?


We generally do not reimburse any work done by a private plumber. For more details see the customer contract, section 4.1.

However, there are unique instances where we may reimburse a customer. This is on a case by case basis after our engineers have investigated.

Phone us on (09) 442 2222, press 2.


A good first step is to contact a registered plumber. Most plumbers will check the usual areas such as taps and toilets, but may not be able to pinpoint an underground leak right away. A plumber will usually contact a service to help find the leak.

Check for a leak


It is the property owner's responsibility to fix leaks and pay for any repairs.

If you don’t have funds readily available to pay for leak repairs, you may seek help from Work and Income or the Salvation Army. Here's the contact details for those organisations:

Work and Income
Click here to view the web page or phone 0800 559 009

Salvation Army
Click here to view the web page or phone 0800 854 009


For information and conditions, go to apply for a leak allowance.

If you're ready to apply, click here to use our online form.

You can also apply online using MyAccount. Click ‘apply for leak allowance’ in the top bar.

Log in Register  


If water is leaking before it enters your water meter (towards the road) it will not cause a high bill.

If the leak is within the meter box, it may cause a high bill. Our crews will do repairs and we may consider adjusting your account. If you believe this applies to you, phone (09) 442 2222, press 2.

If the leak is outside the meter box (towards your property) or within your private pipes or fittings, you will need to get a plumber to fix it. When it is fixed, you can apply for a leak allowance to help with the cost (conditions apply).
 

Financial assistance

If you don’t have funds readily available to pay for leak repairs, you may seek help from Work and Income or the Salvation Army. Here's the contact details for those organisations:

Work and Income
Click here to view the web page or phone 0800 559 009

Salvation Army
Click here to view the web page or phone 0800 854 009


During an emergency water shutdown, crews may not have time to door-knock as they want to give all their attention to getting water restored as soon as possible. We understand that this can be inconvenient, but rest assured our crews are working as quickly as possible to restore your water supply.


We treat every fault with urgency, so prioritising faults is very important. Priority depends on the severity, location, health and safety, and the number of people affected. As a low-cost provider we aim to be efficient in the way we manage our field crew’s workload. The timeframe you want may not always be possible, but we will attend as soon as we can.


Unfortunately not. Our contractors cannot repair the private network because of liability. Any registered plumber in your area can help with your private plumbing.


If you don’t have funds readily available to pay for leak repairs, you may seek help from Work and Income or the Salvation Army. Here's the contact details for those organisations:

Work and Income
Click here to view the web page or phone 0800 559 009

Salvation Army
Click here to view the web page or phone 0800 854 009