Water leak at home: what makes a useful report?

First determine whether you can keep looking safe

Fluvius warns against touching wet electrical enclosures and electrical outlets and not using electric appliances there. Do not go through water to operate a switch. If there is immediate danger, get yourself and others to safety and call 112. An online service request is not an emergency channel.

Do not allow children or pets to enter the area concerned. You don't have to take a picture if it requires proximity to water, electricity or a damaged construction. Please indicate by phone why the location is not securely accessible. Missing images are less important than keeping your distance.

Sources: Fluvius — safety during storms and flooding

Name the site, not the broken pipe

Describe where you first saw the water: under the sink, along a wall or through a ceiling. Note whether it drips, flows or if a wet spot is visible. . .Water next to the shower . is a useful observation; .the shower line is leak . is only a conclusion after examination .

The Watergroep mentions, among other things, wet spots and unexpected water consumption as possible indications of a leak. That helps formulate a suspicion, but doesn't locate hidden damage. Do not break open a wall or floor just to include a photo of the suspected cause.

Sources: De Watergroep — recognising a possible leak

Explain whether the situation is changing

Write down the first time and describe the course. Was the room dry before? Did you notice the complaint while using a device or after? Just take observations that you've been able to safely do. Do not run more water to make a leak visible again.

Water may come from the supply, drain, appliance or other source of moisture. An increasing drinking water meter can indicate consumption, but it does not tell us where the water will end up. For example, an unchanged meter position does not exclude a problem with rainwater or drainage water. Therefore, do not release one meter observation from the entire property.

Who do you have to inform?

A problem with the water meter or the public network is reported to the competent water company; The Watergroep offers a fault channel for this. Find the company for your address and don't go tinkering with the meter yourself. In a rental house or apartment you also inform the appropriate owner or administrator.

Save photos and appointments that you could safely collect. Discuss with your insurer what documentation is requested, without assuming intervention or reimbursement. A sanitary repair, searching for a hidden leak and restoration of ceilings or floors may require separate assignments and performers.

Sources: De Watergroep — report a supply fault or water leak

This will give your application a useful follow-up

Deliver Wattra address, accessibility, location and flow of water, plus available images. Please indicate whether the situation is still active and whether other parties are already involved. Ask which follow-up is possible and when it is confirmed. A sent message doesn't mean anyone is on their way immediately.

Wattra handles applications throughout Flanders. Ask explicitly for the definition of research, sanitary work and possible restoration of finishes. Specialized leak detection is not automatically offered or included. You do not need to have a full diagnosis; the purpose of your notification is a safe, appropriate next step.