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How we manage leaks in our network
Find out what causes leaks in our network and what we’re doing to prevent and repair them.
What causes leaks in our network?
- Ground movement, especially in extreme weather conditions
- General wear and tear, particularly in older pipes
- Vibration damage from heavy traffic
- Damage caused by a third party, for example, during construction
Did you know?
Our network contains 9000km of water pipes and, if laid end-to-end, they’d reach Hong Kong.
What we’re doing to stop leaks
We’re committed to reducing leaks in our network, and we’re achieving this in several different ways.
Proactive leak detection
We use acoustic leak detection technology to find and repair unreported leaks. Leaks have a distinctive sound because they’re constantly running. We can locate them by connecting a specially designed microphone to a meter or pipe connection.
Did you know?
Proactive leak detection has helped us save an estimated 10 million litres of water loss.
Proactive pipe renewals
Between 2021 and 2041, we’ll spend $4.58 billion to replace watermains and infrastructure. By being proactive rather than reactive, we’ll reduce the leaks.
Fast response times
We aim to respond to all leaks within five days but will fix most within three days of being notified.
Related pages
Learn the steps you can take to check whether you have a leak on your property.
Discover how we’re stopping stormwater from causing wastewater overflows, and how you can help.
Learn about our process for prioritising and repairing any faults you report, including reinstating property.
Find out who is responsible for different pipes and where that responsibility starts and finishes.