Water pressure

Water pressure changes

From time to time, we make changes to water pressure across the network. These changes are made to improve the reliability of the network by reducing leaks and possible disruptions. We have a commitment to supply water to our customers at a minimum pressure of 210 kPA and we operate and maintain our network to ensure water is delivered in accordance with these standards.

Water pressure information brochure (PDF)

Plumber and woman looking at leaking tap in kitchen

Do you have a water pressure issue?

This may be due to:

problems with your property’s plumbing (like a blocked pipe or concealed leak)
problems with Unitywater infrastructure (like a burst or leaking water main)
fire-fighting happening in your area or fire brigade testing hydrants
Unitywater maintenance activities (like hydrant flushing or flow testing)
new water appliances being installed on your property
your property may be in an area which experiences pressure issues due to its natural location (e.g. it is on a very high hill), which means pressure-booster equipment may be required.

You can do a simple bucket test to get an indication of possible low water pressure.

Here’s what to do:

find the tap nearest to your water meter (this is usually the front outdoor tap)
turn the tap on full and record the time it takes to fill a 9-litre bucket
if this takes a lot longer than 30 seconds, you may have low water pressure.

There are several reasons why you may be experiencing low water pressure. Go to Step 2 to understand the possible reasons and what to do.

If you've got LOW water pressure, follow these steps to work out what the problem is and how to fix it.

Step	What to do
1. Search for planned or unplanned incidents in your area. We might be carrying out planned works in your area. If so, we always try to give residents notice of any work we’re doing in your area. Or we might be carrying our emergency work on the water mains in your area and it is not possible to give advance notice of these emergency works.	Check to see if we have left a card in your letterbox. Check our outages map to see if we have works happening near you. You can also receive updates on water outages by following us on Facebook.
If you can't see an outage in your area, please make the following checks:
2. Check the pressure at all your cold water taps, both inside and outside.	If low pressure isn’t occurring at every tap, then you have an internal plumbing issue. If it is only occurring at particular taps, check those tap filters are clean and ensure installed devices aren’t clogged. If this doesn’t resolve then you may need to contact a licensed plumber.
3. Check your stop tap or stop valves on your water meter are fully open.	Find the stop tap or stop valve on your water meter and make sure it’s fully open. This controls the flow of drinking water into your property.
4. Check with your neighbours.	If they aren’t experiencing similar low pressure it may indicate a problem with your private plumbing, such as a blockage between the meter and your house. You will need to contact a licensed plumber.
5. Check for internal leaks on your property.	Leaks can reduce the flow of water reaching your taps, which can lead to low water pressure. Find out how to check for leaks on your property.
6. Check the time and frequency of low pressure occurrences.	Please remember: pressure is impacted by demand and is usually lower during the peak demand periods of the morning and evening.
7. Check your internal infrastructure	In most cases this will require a licensed plumber. Most typical internal causes of low pressure include: Blocked / clogged limiting devices If your house was built after 2006 then you most likely have a limiting device installed, check this is not blocked or being restricted. Limiting devices are installed on the downstream of your meter (your side of the meter), and they are the property owner's responsibility to keep them maintained. They can be attached to any of your internal infrastructure but are generally attached within your meter box or on your hot water system inlet. There are many different manufacturers of Pressure Limiting Devices. Please see a few examples below: Limiting devices are put in place to protect your internal infrastructure from fluctuations of high pressure, therefore if it is found to be blocked or damaged it is up to the discretion of your plumber and yourself to replace the device with a new one or remove the device completely. If your house is newly constructed, your pressure issue could be as simple as your limiting device not being adjusted correctly. Ask your plumber or builder to check the limiting device is set to a sufficient 500kPa. Blocked or corroded pipework Over time pipes can become blocked and restrict water flow through them. A licensed plumber will be able to pin point where a blockage lays and resolve it. If you are aware of any galvanised pipework ensure it is not corroding and causing a blockage. If your house was built before 1960 it is highly likely it has galvanised pipework.
8. Contact Unitywater	If you have tried all of the above and cannot identify the problem, please call our 24-hour faults and emergencies number: 1300 086 489. We will ensure the low pressure is not a result of works in your area first and then organise a member of staff to investigate.

Shower head in residential bathroom

If you have HIGH water pressure

Step 1: Find the cause and what to do

There are a couple of reasons why you may be experiencing HIGH water pressure:

Cause	What to do
1. We might be carrying out planned works in your area or there may be emergency work being carried out on our water mains.	Check our outages map to see if we have works happening near you. You can also receive updates on water outages by following us on Facebook. If you cannot find any information on our website that could explain your pressure issues, please contact us to make a report.
2. There may be an issue with your internal plumbing.	Please contact a private plumber to investigate.

Cause

What to do

1. We might be carrying out planned works in your area or there may be emergency work being carried out on our water mains.

Check our outages map to see if we have works happening near you.

You can also receive updates on water outages by following us on Facebook.

If you cannot find any information on our website that could explain your pressure issues, please contact us to make a report.

2. There may be an issue with your internal plumbing.

Please contact a private plumber to investigate.

If you think you have unusually higher than normal water pressure, please contact us.

If you are concerned about your pressure being too high, we recommend that a private pressure limiting device be fitted on your water meter by a private plumber.

Shower head spraying water in residential bathroom

Leakage reduction program

Unitywater is proactively managing excessive water pressure and minimising water lost through leaks in the region to deliver financial savings for customers and benefits for our environment.

We test for leaks, confirm pressure levels within the water supply network and also test fire flow performance, to make sure the network responds when emergency services need to use fire hydrants.

The program helps reduce leaks and prevent bursts, conserving water and securing an uninterrupted water supply.

Pressure and Flow Information

Pressure and flow information is available for customers in our region. Information provided on this application is the anticipated performance of the water network based on hydraulic modelling information available at this time. It has not been verified by field testing. The service comes at a cost and is indicated on the 'How to Pay' section on the application:

Application for Hydraulic Model Pressure and Flow Information - F8578 (PDF 42KB)

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