Plumbing advice for Dumbarton homes
Who fixes which pipe: you, your landlord or Scottish Water?
Water is leaking and you want it stopped. The first question is whose leak it is, because that decides who pays.
The rules in Scotland are not the same as in England, and guides written for English water companies will mislead you. This one sticks to Scotland.
The boundary rule
Citizens Advice Scotland sets it out in a few lines. As a homeowner you are responsible for all the pipes within the boundary of your property. Those pipes join the mains at a stop valve. If one of them leaks, it is yours to fix.
Scottish Water is responsible for the mains. Its side runs up to the boundary with your property. If the mains pipe leaks, Scottish Water has to fix it.
So the line is drawn at your boundary, not at your front door. The pipe under your own garden or drive is yours, even though you never see it.
How to tell which side a leak is on
- Water coming up through the road or the pavement. Almost certainly the main. Report it to Scottish Water.
- A wet patch in your own garden or drive that never dries. Likely your supply pipe. A plumber can confirm it.
- Low pressure in your home only. Check your stop valve is fully open, then suspect a leak or a blockage on your own pipe.
- Low pressure or no water along the whole street. A mains problem. Scottish Water will know about it or want to.
- Anything inside the house. Yours.
Not sure? A simple test is to turn off every tap and appliance, then put your ear to the stop valve. A steady hiss with nothing running means water is flowing somewhere it should not.
If you ignore a leak on your side
You cannot leave it running. Citizens Advice Scotland explains that if you do not repair a leak you are responsible for, Scottish Water can step in, repair pipes it can get at and send you the bill. Where it needs to come onto your property to do so, it gives notice first.
It is cheaper to choose your own plumber and agree your own price. See leak repairs in Dumbarton.
Flats, tenements and shared pipes
If your home is a flat, you share more than a close and a roof. A rising main up the stair. A tank in the roof space. A soil stack down the back wall. A drain across the back court.
Citizens Advice Scotland says owners in a tenement all share the responsibility for maintaining common pipes. When one leaks, the cost is divided by the rules in the title deeds. If the deeds say nothing, a scheme laid down in Scottish tenement law fills the gap.
In practice, tell the factor if the building has one. If it does not, speak to the other owners before you order work, and agree in writing how the bill will be split. A plumber will want to know who is paying before a shared pipe is touched.
If you rent
Tenants do not pay for plumbing repairs unless they caused the damage. Citizens Advice Scotland says a tenant has to get the homeowner or landlord to fix a leak.
Report it at once and in writing. A text or email with a photo and the date is enough. Turn the water off at the stop valve if it is doing damage, and say that you have.
Council and housing association tenants should use their landlord's repairs line. For a private let, the landlord must meet the repairing standard. If they do not, Citizens Advice Scotland notes that the tenant can report the landlord to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland, Housing and Property Chamber.
Landlords are welcome to use the form on this site. Say who the plumber should ring to get in.
Drains and sewers
Waste water follows a similar pattern, though the details vary from street to street. The public sewers are Scottish Water's. The drains inside your boundary that carry waste from your home alone are generally yours to keep clear.
Shared drains are the grey area. If several homes are backing up together, ring Scottish Water before paying a drainage firm, because the blockage may be in a sewer it has to clear. Our page on blocked drains in Dumbarton covers the blockages that are yours.
Gas pipes are a separate matter
None of the above applies to gas. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer may work on gas pipes and appliances. If you smell gas, do not ring a plumber. Leave the building and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
A quick summary
- In the street: Scottish Water
- Inside your boundary, serving only you: you, or your landlord if you rent
- Shared within a building: all the owners together, by the title deeds
- Anything with gas in it: a Gas Safe registered engineer
Scottish Water's customer helpline is 0800 0778 778. For everything on your side of the line, a local plumber is the person to ask.
Common questions
Is the stop valve in the pavement mine or Scottish Water's?
It marks the point where the two meet. Scottish Water's own published guidance is the place to check who maintains the valve for your type of property, as arrangements differ, so ask them if yours is broken or cannot be found. The stop valve inside your home is always yours.
My neighbour's leak is damaging my flat. What can I do?
Tell them straight away, and the factor if there is one. Take dated photos. Contact your own home insurer, who may deal with the neighbour's insurer for you. If the leak is from a shared pipe, the repair is a joint cost under the title deeds.
On your side of the line?
While people argue over whose pipe it is, the water keeps running. If the leak is inside your boundary, waiting will not move it onto someone else's bill. It only adds to the damage.
Say where the leak is and which part of Dumbarton you are in. Free to send, and free to hear the price.