To turn off the mains, look for the stopcock or stop tap which is usually located under the sink. It looks like a brass tap and is connected at both sides. Turn it clockwise, as if you were turning off any other kind of tap. This will stop the flow of water to all outlets in the home. If you have a leak, this may not stop it immediately, but it will prevent it from running indefinitely. If you are unable to locate the internal stopcock, there will be an external stopcock usually located on the kerbside outside of the property where your water meter is located.
You should be able to turn off the stopcock without any tools. However, it may take a moment or two for the water to stop flowing. Note that if you have a cold water storage cistern, turning off the mains will stop the cistern from filling, but any leak originating from the cistern or from appliances fed from the cistern will continue until the cistern is empty.
If you have a cold-water storage cistern and a hot water cylinder, turning off the mains also won’t stop the flow of hot water until the cold cistern is empty.
Try to mop up any access water and use a bucket or similar to catch any leaking water to avoid damage to the property.
If you have contained the leak, please report to Tenant Link as soon as possible by using the online maintenance portal.
If you cannot stop or contain the leak – Please call our emergency helpline on 0120 2045 101.
