Burst pipe? What to do in the first 30 minutes, and how to spot one underground

What to do if a pipe bursts, in order

If a pipe bursts, work through six steps in order: water off, electrics safe, hot water off, water contained, damage recorded, plumber called. Doing them in this order stops the flow first and keeps you away from the biggest risk, which is water meeting electricity.

1. Turn off the water at the stop tap on the water meter.
2. If water is near power points, lights or the switchboard, keep clear. Switch the power off only if you can reach the switchboard from a dry spot.
3. Ask the plumber whether to switch off the hot water system while the water is off.
4. Move belongings out of the way and soak up or catch what water you safely can.
5. Photograph the burst, the damage and the meter reading.
6. Call a licensed plumber, or your water provider if the leak is on the street side of the meter.

Step 1: Turn off the water at the meter

The stop tap on the water meter shuts off water to the whole property, so it is the first thing to find. In Redland City, meters on connections installed since the early 2000s sit just inside the property line, about 0.5m back and 0.5m from the left or right boundary. Older meters may sit further along, generally in line with the side of the house or the outside tap, according to Redland City Council.

In Logan, most meters are on the nature strip outside the front of the property, under the lid of a meter box. Logan City Council recommends wearing gloves and lifting the lid carefully, because meter boxes can be home to spiders and snakes.

If the stop tap is stiff, don't force it with tools or strike the meter. The meter belongs to the water provider, and Redland City Council says it may recover the reasonable cost of repairing damage to its meters from the property owner. If you can't find the stop tap or it won't turn, tell the plumber when you call.

Step 2: Make it safe: electrics, hot water system and ceilings

Electrical safety comes before mopping. Queensland's Electrical Safety Office says to stay away from and not touch switchboards damaged by water, and to warn others. That advice is written for storms, and the same caution applies to water from a burst pipe.

Only switch the power off at the switchboard if you can reach the board while standing somewhere dry, without touching water. If water is running through light fittings or the switchboard is wet, leave the area and get help. Have a licensed electrician check any water-damaged hard-wired appliance before you use it again.

Ask the plumber on the phone whether to switch off your hot water system. Rinnai's manual for its Hotflo electric storage range says the switch is usually marked and located in the electricity meter box; check the manual for your own unit. For a gas unit, leave it to a licensed gasfitter. If the water is coming from the hot water unit itself, read what to do when a hot water system is leaking.

If a ceiling is sagging, bulging or dripping, keep people and pets out of the room below and don't push on it.

Step 3: Limit the water damage and record it for insurance

Limiting water damage means moving what you can, catching what you can and photographing everything before you throw anything out. Do this only once the water is off and there is no electrical risk in the room.

• Lift rugs, furniture, boxes and electronics off wet floors.
• Catch drips with buckets and soak up pooled water with towels.
• Open windows and doors so wet areas can start to dry.
• Photograph the burst pipe, the water and every damaged wall, floor, ceiling and item.
• Photograph the water meter reading, so there is a record of the date and the figure.
• Keep the plumber's invoice and any report on what was found and repaired.

The Insurance Council of Australia gives advice for disaster claims that is useful here too: contact your insurer immediately, take photos before removing soaked items, don't throw away goods that could be salvaged or repaired, and speak to your insurer before authorising building work, including emergency repairs. What your policy covers depends on its wording, so ask your insurer. A plumber's paperwork can matter beyond insurance: in Redland City, a concealed leak remission application needs proof via a plumber's invoice or report.

Is it your pipe or the water provider's? Who to call in Redlands, Logan and Brisbane

The water meter is the dividing line: pipes on the property side are the owner's to repair, and pipes on the street side belong to the water provider. Redland City Council says all pipes on the property side of the meter are the owner's responsibility. Logan City Council repairs leaks from its supply system up to and including the meter, and leaks from pipes and fittings on the property side are the owner's responsibility.

For leaks inside the boundary, Redland City Council also lists your landlord, rental agency or body corporate as contacts. Brisbane City Council says to phone Urban Utilities on 13 23 64 for faults or emergencies, and lists burst mains and water leaks among the matters Urban Utilities handles.

Signs a pipe has burst underground or inside a wall

A hidden burst shows up as water you can't account for: a meter that moves with every tap off, ground that stays wet, or a stain that keeps growing. Look for these signs:

• Meter dials or the red numbers moving while nothing in the house is using water.
• Seepage or a greener patch of lawn, which the QBCC lists as a usual sign of a leak or breakage.
• A bill or letter showing higher use than usual. Urban Utilities says it will, wherever possible, notify you of higher usage, most commonly by letter.

To check, Logan City Council says to turn off all internal taps, appliances and irrigation systems that use water and watch the meter: if any dials are moving, this suggests water is passing through the water meter and that you have a leak. For a slow leak, write down the reading, wait at least one hour without using water, then read the meter again. If the reading has changed, call a licensed plumber to find and repair the leak. Our guide to finding a water leak covers the checks in more detail.

Redland City Council treats a burst pipe underground, in concrete or under a building as a concealed leak when the occupant could not reasonably know about it, and you may be eligible for a remission on the water consumption charge.

Why pipes burst in south-east Queensland

Ground movement is one documented factor, and a plumber confirms the cause on site. The QBCC says most Queensland homes are built on clay soils that dry out rapidly in dry seasons and become wet quickly in wet seasons, which can cause sudden volume changes and soil movement. Buried pipes sit in that soil, and when the QBCC inspects ground movement, one possible outcome is that the owner needs to have the plumbing tested to check for leaking or broken pipe work. The QBCC also lists leaking underground plumbing among the things that can affect reactive clay sites, so a leak and ground movement can feed each other.

Sewer lines are a separate system with their own problems, covered in our guide to tree roots and pipe relining.

What you can and can't do yourself under Queensland plumbing law

Under Queensland plumbing law you can isolate, contain and record a burst, but the repair itself must be done by a licensed plumber. The QBCC says most plumbing work in Queensland is regulated and requires a QBCC licensed plumber or drainer. A short list of unregulated work, such as replacing a jumper valve or washer in a tap, can be done by anyone with the right skills.

Repairing a broken or damaged pipe is not on that list. The QBCC's regulated work page classes repairing a broken or damaged pipe as minor work, and minor work must be performed by a QBCC licensee, even though it doesn't need council approval or reporting to the QBCC.

What happens when the plumber arrives

When the plumber arrives, the first job is finding exactly where the water is escaping, then repairing that section and testing the line before the water goes back on for good. With a visible burst under a sink that can be straightforward. A leak under a slab, inside a wall or somewhere along an underground service takes longer to locate.

What affects the size of the job: where the pipe is, how easy it is to reach, what the pipe is made of, how much of the pipe is damaged, and whether walls, paving or a driveway need opening up. Your plumber can explain the options once the leak is found.

Jim Monger Plumbing and Gas handles burst pipes and leak detection, including concealed leaks, underground leaks and pressure testing water supplies, under QBCC licence 15504687, with gas work under gas licence L90908. If the burst has knocked out your hot water as well, we also look after hot water systems in Victoria Point and nearby suburbs. Call 0418 871 269 once the water is off and the area is safe.