Why do I have no water?

Our In your area site will tell you if there’s any work, that we are aware of, that could be causing no water.

There could be a few reasons for having no water:

• Emergency work on a burst main
• Planned work where we’ve notified you in advance
• An airlock in your system following work
• An issue with your internal plumbing
• Neighbours carrying out work on a joint supply

If you can't find anything on our In your area site, you may want to check with neighbours to confirm if it is just your supply affected. If the issue is affecting your neighbours, it may be that we’re not aware of a problem on our main supply. Please call our Services Helpline on 0344 346 2020 to report this.

To check for airlocks, turn your internal stop tap on and off 3 times to release any air whilst the cold kitchen tap is open. You should also check that your external stop tap is open if it is safe to do so.

For issues with internal plumbing there is a list of approved plumbers at WaterSafe.

Why do I have low pressure?

If you’ve noticed sudden low pressure:

There could be a few reasons for this, a burst main for example that is causing a sudden dip in your pressure or flow. You will need to carry out a few checks:

1. Check if the low pressure is only affecting your hot water, this would indicate an internal plumbing problem and you’ll need to contact a plumber. Approved plumbers can be found through WaterSafe or on the Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme WIAPS.
2. Turn your internal stop tap on and off 3 times while the cold kitchen tap is open. You should also check that your external stop tap is open.
3. Check if your neighbours have the same problem, if not it is likely that it is an internal plumbing problem.
4. Have a look at our In your area site to find out if there’s any work causing this.

If it still remains low after carrying out the 4 checks, please call our Services Helpline on 0344 346 2020 to report this.

If there’s continuous low pressure:

There are several factors that could mean that your house has a lower pressure and flow rate than at a different house:

• The height of your house in relation to the reservoir
• A smaller or older supply pipe
• A shared supply pipe
• A time of day with higher demand
• Longer internal pipework

If you have no water:

Why do I have no water?

Where can I find plans of pipework in my area?

For location of private pipework in your area contact your local District Council or check your house deeds.

If you are a land or property owner you can request an asset plan by emailing Source for Searches. 

For solicitors/conveyancers looking for a water and drainage search (CON29DW) can find more information at Source for Searches.

You can visit us at our head office in Exeter between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday to view a map on a PC monitor. The map will show the location of public sewers, disposal mains and lateral drains which we are responsible for (or have adopted).

What standards apply to water pressure?

We have a statutory requirement to supply water by gravity continuously for domestic purposes at a pressure that will; ‘reach the top of the top-most storey of every building’ (Water Industry Act 1991 Section 65)

We also have service standards which are agreed with Ofwat that require a minimum supply pressure of 7 metres head (approximately 10 psi or 0.7 bar) , measured at the point where our communication pipe joins your supply pipe. You should be able to fill a 2 litre bottle in less than approximately 13 seconds.  

We try to improve on this and provide at least 10 metres head (approximately 14 psi or 1.0 bar) at the end of our communication pipes.

There is no legal requirement for a maximum supply pressure. If you find that the supply pressure exceeds the maximum working pressure of internal fittings, you may want to discuss with an approved plumber about installing a pressure reducing valve. Approved plumbers can be found through WaterSafe or on the Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme WIAPS.

There's more information here on:

Low pressure

High pressure

How hard is my water?

Our water quality postcode search can be found here.

Most of our area is sourced from moorland rivers and reservoirs and is classed as soft or moderately soft. In East Devon the water comes from deep underground boreholes and this water is classed as slightly or moderately hard.

You can read more about Water Hardness here.