Renfrewshire Council

Leaks and water supply issues

If you have a leak

If you have a leak, turn the water off at the stopcock to prevent any more water leaking. 

The stopcock is a tap that controls water flowing from the mains water supply into your home. It is usually found under the kitchen sink or in your hallway.

Once you find the stopcock for the main water supply, turn it to the right (clockwise) to turn it off.

A leak may not stop immediately if water is still flowing from the storage tank or the hot water tank. Draining the water from the tanks can help stop the leak. 

Before you drain the tanks:

• check the immersion heater is switched off if you have an electricity powered tank
• switch off the water heater if you have gas heating. 

Then turn on other taps to drain down the tank.

If that does not stop the leak, phone us on 0300 300 0300 or report the housing repair online.

If you have no water

Check the stopcock is open first, then check with your neighbours if they have a water supply.

If their water has also stopped, there may be a burst mains pipe. Contact Scottish Water on 0800 0778 778 to report it. 

If the problem just affects your own water supply, phone us on 0300 300 0300 for advice.

If the water is discoloured

If your water is not clear or is a different colour to normal, there may be a problem with the water supply.

Phone Scottish Water on 0800 0778 778 for advice or see the discoloured water FAQs on the Scottish Water website.

If the taps will not turn off

If the water is running very quickly, you may need to turn the water off at the stopcock. You may have a separate stopcock for the kitchen sink that you also need to turn off. 

If you need water in the meantime,  you can turn on the stopcock briefly to get the water you need and then turn if off again. 

If the taps continue to run water, phone us on 0300 300 0300.

If water is leaking from your ceiling

If you're on the top floor of your building, and the problem is caused by a leaking roof, we will arrange for a temporary roof repair.

Phone us on 0300 300 0300 to report a ceiling leak.

However, for health and safety reasons, we cannot go onto a roof in the dark, during high winds, or when it is raining.

If there is another flat above you, speak to the person living there and get them to turn off their water. If they are not in, check the flats on both sides and the floor above your flat, as sometimes the leak can travel some distance before it becomes noticeable.

If it's a privately owned empty property upstairs, we cannot enter it to repair a leak without first going through a legal process. 

If a pipe has burst

If a pipe has burst, phone us on 0300 300 0300.

What to do if you have frozen pipes

Blockages

If the toilet is blocked

Do not block your toilet with:

• children's toys
• nappies
• entire toilet rolls
• kitchen roll
• paper
• plastic toilet fresheners

If an object accidentally falls into the toilet bowl, you should always remove it by lifting it out. Never try to flush it away.

If it causes a blockage, you will have to pay for the repair.

If the toilet will not flush

If your toilet will not flush, we'll fix it by the end of the next working day. Phone us on 0300 300 0300 to report the issue.

In the meantime, you can manually flush the toilet by pouring a bucket of water down it after each use.

If the sink or bath is blocked

Some blockages will clear by themselves if they are left for a few hours. 

If they do not, try using a plunger, sink unblocking agent or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to clear blocked sinks or baths. 

Take care when using unblocking products as they can be corrosive or harmful to surfaces and your skin. Always follow the manufacturers' instructions.

If the shower head is blocked

It is your responsibility to regularly clean, maintain or replace the shower head in your bathroom.

If you cannot fix the blockage

If you cannot fix the blockage, phone us on 0300 300 0300.

How soon we can fix it will depend on the issue, and if it's an emergency or not.

See how long a repair will take.