General plumbing information

When can you do your own plumbing work?

You can only do minor plumbing work, such as changing tap washers, yourself.

You need to hire a plumber to:

  • fix bigger problems
  • do renovation work
  • replace hot water systems, toilets and showers.

Ask your plumber about the best products to help you save water at home.

Don’t forget to ask the plumber to give you a  certificate of compliance after they’ve finished the work.

What are you responsible for ?

You’re responsible for maintaining the pipes and fittings on your property up to where they connect to NEV Water’s water and wastewater networks.

The pipes and fittings include all:

  • private water, wastewater and stormwater pipes and taps
  • pumps, tanks and other equipment used on your private pipes

You must also protect the water meter from damage and make sure we have access to read, maintain or replace it.

If you damage the meter, we may charge you to replace it.

How do you know if you have a leak and what should you do?

Leaks occur when a pipe has been damaged in some way. This causes water or wastewater to leak out of the pipe.

You might have a leak in your water pipe if you have :

  • wet patches on your lawn during dry weather
  • patches of lawn or garden that are growing better than the area around it
  • a funny hissing sound coming from your water pipe
  • a water bill with much higher water use than usual, although you haven’t changed the way you use water on your property.

If you suspect you might have a blockage or leak on your property we encourage you to immediately report this problem to NEV Water by calling 02 4328 1588. If you make the call outside of normal business hours you may be redirected to an emergency response number.

NEV Water will investigate the issue raised. If the fault is with the your own water or sewage plumbing you will be asked to contact an external plumbing service for assistance. NEV Water will provide assistance to enable you to turn off your water supply at the meter until the fault is rectified.

If the leak or fault is identified as being outside you property NEV Water will take responsibility for engaging suitable technicians to rectify the problem as quickly as possible. NEV Water undertakes to provide you with regular updates on progress to resolving the problem.

If the leak is shown to be caused by NEV Water and has increased the consumption of water flowing through your own water meter then you may be entitled to an adjustment to your regular water invoice. NEV Water will discuss this issue with you and commits to achieving an agreed adjustment to your next water bill.

To print this page click –  NEV Water – Plumbing & Building Information – General plumbing information – March 2018