If you have cold water from your kitchen tap but no hot water AND NO water from other taps, you need to contact a plumber.

Water leaving our treatment works is virtually lead free.

Please see the independent Drinking Water Inspectorate's website for the latest information and advice on lead pipes.

If you think that you have lead pipes, please contact us. We will make an appointment for a member of the Customer Support Team to visit you. If you decide to replace any internal lead pipes or a private underground service lead pipe, we will replace our section of underground pipe free of charge if it also is made of lead.

If the blockage appears to be in the drains within the boundary of your property, you will need to get a drain cleaning company to help you. Look in Yellow Pages.

If you think that your drains are clear and the problem is being caused by something wrong with our sewers, please contact us and we will investigate the problem free of charge.

Some of your water supply system still consists of old unlined iron pipes. Over the years, water has reacted with the iron and the insides of the pipes have "rusted". When rust deposits are stirred up, the water supply becomes discoloured. It is very unlikely that the water is harmful to health but do not use it to make up babies' bottles.

In 2010, we are due to finish our 10 year mains relining programme which should reduce discolouration problems.

But if your supply becomes discoloured, run the cold kitchen tap. If it does not clear within one hour, please call us on 0800 169 1144 (Minicom 0800 169 9965). Also call us on these numbers if you are on a meter and have had to run off water (so we can credit your account in respect of water you have had to run off), or if you have a baby and need water. We will deliver some as soon as we can.

This is caused by air in the water. You can check this by filling a glass with the water and watching it clear. If it is air, it will become clear after a minute from the bottom of the glass upwards.

If the water does not clear from the bottom of the glass upwards, please contact us.

The water is perfectly safe to drink and use. You may notice what looks like a scum on the top of the water if there has been air in the supply. This is minute traces of calcium carbonate which normally is dissolved in the water supply but has been forced out of solution by the air. It is not harmful to health.

If the leak is from above ground plumbing fittings, you will need to contact a plumber.

If you have a water meter, you can check to find out if there is a leak on the underground service pipe by carrying out the following test:

1. Take a reading from your meter, writing down both the black and red figures.
2. Make sure that all taps and appliances are turned off.
3. Do not use any water for at least an hour (this includes flushing toilets).
4. Take another meter reading.

If the numbers have moved, turn off your internal stop tap. If the meter dials are moving when you check them, you probably have a leak in the pipe connecting your home to our main. If you think that you have a leak after carrying out the test, our Code of Practice on Leakage explains what help you can get from us.