Your Responsibility
Who’s responsible for what?
At Scottish Water we provide water and waste water services to over 2.2 million households across Scotland. Our large network of pipes and sewers is enough to run twice around the globe.
Do you know who owns and is responsible for the water and waste water pipes in and around your property? This is useful to understand if a pipe bursts in and around your home, and could save you time in an emergency. The diagram and table below shows a typical example of the pipework found in an average street that will apply to most of our customers.
You can find out more about your responsibilities by viewing or downloading the your pipework responsibilities leaflet and your guide to drains and sewers leaflet in the useful links section on the right hand side of this page.
We have also included answers to some frequently asked questions below that will help you understand who is responsible for what, in relation to your property.
A typical example
your questions answered
1. What is a water supply pipe and who owns it?
For most of our customers the water supply pipe is the pipe that runs from the edge of your property boundary and ends at your stop valve inside your home. A property can have an individual supply pipe, or they can have a shared supply pipe (one pipe feeding more than one property). You will often find that flats and older or terraced houses are more than likely to have their water supplied by a shared water supply pipe.
The owner of the property is responsible for the maintenance of the water supply pipe. If you are on a shared supply pipe you are jointly responsible, along with your neighbours. You are also responsible for the installation and maintenance of all plumbing inside your home.
2. What is a water communication pipe and who owns it?
The water communication pipe starts at the water main in your street and runs to the edge of your property boundary where it meets the stopcock and water meter, if you have one. In some cases the stopcock may be found within the boundary of your property. We own the water communication pipe and it is our responsibility to maintain it, up to and including the stopcock (no matter where this is situated).
3. What is a stopcock and a water meter and who owns them?
A stopcock and water meter (if you have one) are found at the end of the communication pipe. The stopcock is where we would access your water supply to carry out any necessary work or checks. If you have a water meter it would also be located at this point and would measure the amount of water entering your property. We are responsible for the maintenance and repair of both the stopcock and the water meter.
4. What is a water main and who owns it?
The water main is the main public water supply pipe into the local area. We are responsible for the maintenance and repair of the public water main.
5. What is the stop valve and who owns it?
The stop valve is the control for your water supply into your property and is located within the boundary of your property, normally within your home. It allows you to switch off your water supply to your property if you are doing plumbing work or if your pipe bursts. It is usually located under a sink (normally your kitchen sink), or in a garage (wherever the mains supply enters your house). The stop valve is the responsibility of the homeowner.
6. What is the private drain and who owns it?
The private drain is the pipe that removes the waste water from your property (for example, from your toilet and sinks). It runs from your property up to your property boundary where it meets and connects to the main public sewer. The private drain is the responsibility of the homeowner.
7. What is a sewer and who owns it?
The waste water from your property passes down your private drain and into the main public sewer. From there our vast network of sewers transport the waste water to our waste water treatment works. We are responsible for the provision, operation and maintenance of the public sewer network.
To help keep your water flowing, label your stop valve today, contact us for your free stop valve sticker
Our quick reminder stickers for you to write on the name and telephone number of your local plumber in case of an emergency.
To obtain your free sticker, fill in the form or contact us by writing to Customer Marketing, Free Stop Valve Sticker Promotion, PO Box 8855, Edinburgh EH10 6YQ; or by emailing customermarketing@scottishwater.co.uk giving us your full name and addtress (we can only send one sticker per household).
