What to do if…
you suddenly have no running water in your home

What to do now

1. Check whether the cold kitchen tap is working.

   • Try the cold tap in the kitchen or utility area first, because this is usually the mains-fed tap.
   • If only some taps are affected, the problem may be inside your plumbing rather than the outside supply.

2. Ask one neighbour or someone in the same building.

   • If they also have no water or very low pressure, it may be a wider supply interruption.
   • If only your home is affected, move quickly to checking internal valves and getting property-specific help.

3. Check the inside stop valve or stopcock.

   • Look under the kitchen sink, near where the water pipe enters, in an airing cupboard, or near the front door area.
   • Make sure it has not been knocked closed or partly closed.
   • If it feels stuck, cracked, or unsafe to move, leave it alone and contact a plumber, landlord, or building manager.

4. If you are in a flat or shared building, check the shared route.

   • Contact the building manager, caretaker, housing provider, concierge, or management company.
   • Ask whether any communal valve, tank, pump, planned work, leak, or repair is affecting the building.

5. If neighbours are affected, contact the water supplier.

   • Check the supplier’s service updates for your postcode or area.
   • Report “no water” or “very low pressure” if there is no clear update.
   • Ask whether there is a known incident, when the next update is expected, and whether any drinking-water notice applies.

6. If the problem seems limited to your home, treat it as internal plumbing.

   • If you rent, report it to your landlord, letting agent, housing association, or repairs line now.
   • If you own, contact a plumber if the stop valve check does not restore supply or the household has no usable water.
   • If you see leaking, bulging ceilings, water near electrics, or flooding, prioritise safety and emergency help.

7. Make safe short-term water arrangements.

   • Use bottled water or safe stored water for drinking, brushing teeth, food preparation, and baby formula.
   • Use alcohol hand gel if you cannot wash hands with soap and running water.
   • If you have safe non-drinking water, you can use it carefully for toilet flushing; pour slowly and stop if the bowl rises too high.

8. Ask about replacement water and extra support.

   • If the outage is wider than your home, ask the supplier whether replacement water is being provided and where to get it.
   • If someone in the home has a medical need, disability, young children, pregnancy, age-related vulnerability, or another reason they need extra help, ask about priority services or urgent support.
   • If you are already on a Priority Services Register, tell the supplier that when you report the outage.

9. If you are on a private water supply.

   • Treat it as an on-site supply problem unless neighbours on the same private supply are also affected.
   • Contact the person responsible for the supply, a qualified local engineer, or your landlord if you rent.
   • If you are unsure whether the water is safe when it returns, ask your local council or local authority private water supplies or environmental health team what to do next.