Tracer gas detection
Gas escapes through the leak. A sensitive detector picks it up at the surface to help pinpoint the repair.
How tracer gas worksSupply pipe leak detection
We locate hidden leaks in the pipe supplying your home, so repairs can target the right spot with less digging.
0333 567 2637Seven days a week, 7am to 9pm. Fixed price agreed before anyone travels.
- 25 engineers
- around 5,000 jobs a year
- Since 2011
Who is responsible for the supply pipe?
Your water company looks after thisYou own this
The water main Water company
The public pipe under the road. Everything from here to your boundary is theirs to maintain and repair.
The communication pipe Water company
The short spur that branches off the main and runs as far as your boundary.
Boundary stop tap and meter Water company
The chamber under the small metal or plastic lid at the edge of your property. The stop tap inside it shuts your supply off at the boundary, and on a metered property the meter usually sits alongside it.
The supply pipe Yours
From the boundary to your house, buried under whatever is on top of it. This pipe belongs to the property owner. A leak on it is yours to find and yours to fix.
The internal stop tap Yours
Usually under the kitchen sink. Shutting this isolates the plumbing inside the house, which is what makes it the fastest way to tell an inside leak from an outside one.
The full explanation, including shared pipes and what happens when the leak is on their side
Supply pipe leak case studies
Published by ADI Leak Detection, with the engineer, the town and the methods as recorded.
A meter turning slowly, and old lead under the drive
Grantham, Lincolnshire
Underground mains leak located on the driveway, lead pipe repaired.
Read the job
A leak notice from the supplier, and a stopcock that would not shut
Liverpool, Merseyside
Underground mains leak found in the garage, pipe repaired.
Read the job
Water in the basement, and the fault outside the house
Marlborough, Wiltshire
Broken meter outlet fitting found and rebuilt; the source of the basement flooding removed.
Read the job
Signs of a supply pipe leak
A supply pipe sits below the frost line under a drive, a lawn or a slab floor, so the ground takes the water away and the evidence arrives somewhere else.
| What you noticed | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| A water bill that jumped with nothing in the house changing | Water leaving the pipe is metered before it reaches you, so a buried leak reads as consumption. |
| The meter still turning with every tap off | Unexpected flow is worth checking, but a filling toilet or another appliance can also move the meter. |
| A patch of lawn or drive that stays wet in dry weather | Water rising to the surface, usually some distance from the fault rather than above it. |
| Pressure at the kitchen cold tap dropping away | Water escaping before it arrives. Worth checking, but a partly closed stop tap does the same thing. |
| A letter from your water company about a leak | Follow the instructions and deadline in the notice, and ask your supplier what it has established. |
| Grass growing faster in one strip across the garden | The line of the pipe, fed by the leak. It often shows before anything gets wet. |
Every symptom in detail, and the ones that point somewhere else
How to check for a supply pipe leak
A meter test can help narrow the search. You need an outside water meter and a working internal stop tap, both safe to reach.
Turn everything off
Every tap, the washing machine, the dishwasher, the ice maker. Wait for the toilet cisterns to finish filling.
Read the meter and write it down
Include the small dial or the last digits. That is the part that moves on a slow leak, and it is the part people forget to record.
Close the internal stop tap
Usually under the kitchen sink. This isolates the plumbing inside the house and leaves the buried supply pipe still live.
Wait, then read it again
Wait 30 minutes without using water. A rising reading suggests a leak or another water use between the meter and the closed valve.
How we find your supply pipe leak
No single instrument finds a buried leak on its own. The work is a sequence that rules out everything the leak is not, then puts two independent methods on the same spot before anything is opened.
Prove the loss is outside
Trace the run and listen along it
Correlate across a long span
Confirm with tracer gas
Open one small hole, and repair
The equipment that does it
Acoustic listening
Ground microphones listen for water escaping from the buried pipe.
Pressure testing
A pressure gauge helps confirm which section of pipe is losing water.
25 engineers operating nationwide
Our team covers England, Scotland and Wales, with engineers based across the country. From the Glasgow area to the South West and South East, we arrange the right engineer for your location.
Every engineer has a plumbing or heating background with at least three years on the tools, and the one who finds your leak is normally the one who repairs it. You get your engineer’s name before the visit.
The office team speak to every customer before an engineer is booked, and the engineer who attends is the one who writes the report.
- WIAPS approved. The scheme that certifies work on a supply pipe complies with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.
- He writes the report. Not an office. The document your insurer or your water company reads is written by the person who stood over the hole.
- A full day dedicated to your leak. Your engineer will spend the whole day finding and repairing the leak.
Five of our nationwide team
Brett Steele
Covers The Midlands, North West, North East, Yorkshire and Wales.
Adam Regan
Covers Greater London, South East, East Anglia, South West and the Midlands.
Grant Corney
Covers Greater London, South East, East Anglia and the Midlands.
Richard Poberezniuk
Covers South East, South West, the Midlands and Wales.
Hamaad Janjua
Covers North West and Scotland.
ADI Leak Detection customer reviews
Published reviews of ADI Leak Detection on Trustpilot, quoted word for word.4.7 from 1,618 reviews.
Excellent Leak Detection and Repair
We had a major water leak of approximately 220 litres per hour and, with a holiday booked only a few days later, we urgently needed someone to find and repair it. […] Frank arrived at our house. He was extremely polite, professional and clearly very experienced. He quickly set up the equipment, carried out a tracer gas test and pinpointed the leak to an area just outside our garage underneath the driveway. […] The whole job, from arriving at our house to finding and repairing a 220 litre-per-hour leak, was completed in around three hours.
Profecional from the start very polite…
Profecional from the start very polite and helpful on the phone. Plumber name of Brett Steel investigated the leak fully. Found it was not on our property,but still continued investigating, A few days later we got the report, with pictures of meter readings etc. conclusivly proving the leak was the responsibility of the water company. We have had a full rebate of the cost involved. Thank you.
Great Service from start to finish!
ADI’s response was positive and fast, from the person I spoke with, Lauren, who listened, understood and delivered. Through to Kristof who was with us within 2 hours, sourced the underground leak, replaced the pipe, cleaned the system through and made sure every tap, shower and toilet in our house was working as it should!
Overall a great service that we would recommend to everyone.
Thank you, ADI, Phil Patterson.
What it costs to leave it
One ADI customer measured the loss at their property at around 220 litres an hour. That is more than five thousand litres a day leaving the pipe before anyone in the house had used a drop, and it had been doing it long enough to show on a bill.
- Water you never useMetered water that you are charged for and never receive, month after month.
- Repair noticesA repair notice from your water company. The Water Industry Act 1991 lets them require the work within a set period and recharge you if it is not done.
- Damage below groundGround softening under a drive, a path or a corner of the building, which is slow and expensive to put right.
- Damp inside your homeDamp arriving inside, usually a long way from the pipe, once the water finds a route into the structure.
The full picture, including what a leak does to an insurance claim
Supply pipe leak questions
How can I check whether the supply pipe is leaking?
If your meter is outside, turn off taps and water using appliances. Close the internal stop tap gently, record the meter reading, wait 30 minutes without using water, then read it again. Do not force a stiff valve.
A rising reading suggests water is escaping or being used between the meter and the closed valve. A faulty valve, shared supply or another branch can complicate the result. An unchanged reading does not rule out an intermittent leak. Ask for help if the meter or valve is inaccessible.
Guidance: Thames Water household leakage guidance; ADI Liverpool investigation.
Who is responsible for the supply pipe?
The property owner normally maintains the private supply pipe; the water company maintains its main and communication pipe. The boundary is a useful guide, but the exact arrangement can differ, especially where pipes cross other land. Ask your supplier to confirm responsibility.
If you rent, report the problem to your landlord or managing agent before arranging work. If the leak is on the water company’s pipe, report it to them.
Guidance: Scottish Water customer leakage guidance; Thames Water household leakage guidance.
Will my water company repair the leak for free?
Possibly. Some suppliers offer free or assisted repairs, subject to eligibility, access and the condition of the pipe. There is no universal free first repair. Ask your own supplier about its current scheme before booking private work.
Guidance: Thames Water leak repair conditions; Scottish Water customer leakage guidance.
Can I claim back the cost of wasted water?
If you pay for metered water, you may qualify for a leak allowance after the leak is repaired. The supplier sets the eligibility rules, deadlines and evidence requirements, so a credit is not automatic.
Keep meter readings, the repair invoice and the engineer’s report. Ask your supplier whether water charges, sewerage charges or both can be adjusted.
Guidance: Thames Water leak allowance conditions.
Will home insurance cover the work?
Your policy may cover locating and accessing a leak, damage to underground pipes, or resulting water damage. These are different types of cover; approval for one does not mean every cost is covered.
Ask your insurer about your external supply pipe, the excess, limits, exclusions and any approval needed before work starts. A report can support a claim, but cannot guarantee payment.
Guidance: Financial Ombudsman guidance on underground pipes.
Will you need to dig up my drive?
We use equipment such as acoustic listening and tracer gas to narrow the search before excavation. Some access may still be needed to confirm the location and reach the pipe for repair. We cannot promise that every investigation will be free of digging or damage.
Guidance: ADI water mains service; ADI service FAQs.
Can you repair the leak during the visit?
We aim to find and repair it during the booked day. A repair depends on safe access, suitable materials and enough time. Any repair is quoted separately for your agreement.
Guidance: ADI water mains service.
Tell us what the meter is doing
Describe what you have seen and we will tell you whether it sounds like the supply pipe, what the visit involves and what it costs before anyone travels.
The office team speak to every customer before an engineer is booked, and the engineer who attends is the one who writes the report.
0333 567 2637
Seven days a week, 7am to 9pm
England, Scotland and Wales. £5 million public liability insurance.