Water supply
Who owns which water pipe in a tenement?
Who is responsible for water pipes in Scotland depends on where the pipe sits: Scottish Water up to and including the stopcock, then the flat owners from the boundary to each stop valve.
By the Pipes Up the Stair site team · how pages are checked · Updated
In a tenement the line is drawn at the property boundary. On the street side, the water main, the communication pipe and the stopcock are Scottish Water's to maintain. On your side, the supply pipe and the stop valve belong to the owners they serve.
Most stairs in Marchmont, Leith or Gorgie run many flats off one supply pipe, so "your side" usually means yours and your neighbours'.
Where does Scottish Water's part stop?
It stops at the stopcock, which is usually at the boundary. Scottish Water says it owns the communication pipe up to and including the stopcock. The communication pipe runs from the main in the street to the boundary. Sometimes it sits just inside the boundary.
Which pipes belong to the flat owners?
The supply pipe and the stop valve do. Scottish Water describes the supply pipe as the one that runs from the edge of the property boundary to the stop valve inside your home. The stop valve itself is usually under the kitchen sink.
A supply pipe can even stray past the boundary, under a pavement or road, and it is still the owner's to maintain. When an old lead supply pipe is renewed, Scottish Water's lead replacement factsheet asks for a pipe at least 25 mm across, laid with 750 mm to 1350 mm of cover, and it aims to renew its own lead section within 4 weeks of approving yours.
Why do tenement flats share a supply pipe?
Scottish Water says flats and older or terraced houses usually have a shared water supply pipe, and that neighbours on a shared supply are jointly responsible. Old shared pipes are often lead or copper. Its pressure factsheet says older properties generally had 12.5 mm pipes feeding a group of homes, while modern homes and flats usually have 25 mm.
The law points the same way. Section 3 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 makes any pipe serving two or more flats the common property of those flats, unless your title deeds say something different. Our Tenements Act explainer covers how owners decide.
Who pays for a leak on a shared supply pipe?
That depends on where the leak is. Scottish Water's guide works through an example: where two properties share a pipe, both are responsible for repairing a leak on the shared section, while a leak on one home's own branch is that home's alone. Scottish Water says it may offer a subsidised leak repair or pipe replacement if certain conditions are met.
What about drains and soil pipes?
Drains follow a separate rule. A drain usually becomes a public sewer only once it leaves the curtilage of the property or joins a drain from another curtilage. Where one curtilage holds a block of flats, the common drainage inside it stays private. The City of Edinburgh Council puts it plainly: drains in the street and main sewers are maintained by Scottish Water, and all other drains belong to the building's owners. More on that in blocked drains in a tenement.
Who do you contact about a problem?
It depends on the part. Scottish Water recommends a licensed plumber for pipework inside the home, and for a rented home, the landlord or council. Tenants should tell their landlord, letting agent or council landlord rather than arranging work on shared pipes. Anything shared is for the owners to decide on together, often through a factor.
| Part | Where it runs | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Communication pipe | Main to the boundary | Scottish Water |
| Stopcock (and meter, if fitted) | At or near the boundary | Scottish Water |
| Supply pipe | Boundary to each flat's stop valve | Owners it serves, jointly if shared |
| Stop valve | Inside the flat, usually under the kitchen sink | Flat owner |
| Common drains inside the block's curtilage | Back court and under the close | The owners |
| Public sewer | Beyond the curtilage | Scottish Water |
25 mm
minimum outside size of a new supply pipe
Source: Scottish Water
750 mm
least cover over a relaid supply pipe
Source: Scottish Water
4 weeks
aim for renewing its lead pipe after yours
Source: Scottish Water
Asked on the stair
Is the stopcock the same thing as the stop valve?
Not in Scottish Water's words. Its stopcock sits at or near the boundary and is Scottish Water's; the stop valve is inside your home, usually under the kitchen sink, and is yours. See finding your stopcock.
Does the ground-floor flat own the pipe under its floor?
Not if it serves other flats too. The Act says a bottom flat includes the solum under it, but a shared pipe belongs in common to every flat it serves.
Does Scottish Water own the drains under the close?
Not inside the block's curtilage. Common drains there stay private, and the council says all drains other than those in the street and the main sewers belong to the building's owners.
How can you tell whether a shared pipe is lead?
Look at the pipe where it reaches your stop valve, and ask Scottish Water to test your water if you're worried. Our page on lead pipes in Edinburgh explains what to look for.
Where this comes from
- Your guide to water pipework — Scottish Water (archived copy of its page): stopcock, shared leaks, subsidised repairs
- Your pipes FAQ — Scottish Water (archived copy of its page): supply pipe, shared supplies
- Your water pressure explained — Scottish Water (archived copy of its page): pipe sizes
- Lead pipe replacement — Scottish Water (archived copy of its page): new supply pipe size and cover
- Drains and sewers guide — Scottish Water (archived copy of its page): curtilage rule
- Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, section 3 — legislation.gov.uk: pipes serving two or more flats
- Unsafe buildings and emergency repairs — City of Edinburgh Council: who owns drains