Getting a water supply

This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales

Most homes in Scotland are provided with water by Scottish Water.

The cost of water is included in the council tax paid to your local council unless you have a water meter. Any council tax discount that you receive also applies to water and sewerage.

Water from Scottish Water

When you move into a property it should already be connected to a water supply.

If you have no water coming from the taps, always check first if the stopcock has been turned off. The previous tenant or owner might have decided to turn off the water in case of leaks or burst pipes.

If your water is turned off from outside your property, you can call Scottish Water to reconnect the supply on 0800 0778 778. There's no charge to take over a water supply, but there may be a call-out charge.

If you need a new water supply

A new property must be provided with a water supply by Scottish Water. Scottish Water can refuse if the cost would be unreasonable.

You can read more about connecting your home on the Scottish Water website.

If it is a new build, your architect or surveyor must check to see if Scottish Water can connect your new property to the public water supply.

If you have problems getting Scottish Water to provide the necessary piping to get your domestic piping to the public water supply, you might be able to make a claim against an architect or surveyor if they failed to check this.

If Scottish Water refuses to connect you

If Scottish Water has refused your request to be connected to the public water and sewerage systems, you can appeal using a standard environmental appeal procedure.

Read more about appealing a Scottish Water decision.

Private water supply

You might have a private water supply because of where you live. If you do, it's important to check your water supply source and supply piping regularly.

All private water supplies should be registered with your local council’s environmental health department.

Finding a new private water supply

A private water supply can come from surface water like lochs, streams or rivers, or from below ground from boreholes or wells. Most water from such sources will need to be treated before it's suitable to drink.

If you want to create a new private water supply for domestic use, you need to get advice from your local council’s environmental health department about obtaining estimates from local surveyors about the costs.

You might be eligible for financial help to provide a private supply to your home.