Leak before or after the water meter: who pays?

A leak before the water meter belongs to the water utility (Eau de Paris in Paris), which repairs it. A leak after the meter is the account holder's: the building for shared pipes, otherwise the owner or tenant. A meter that turns with everything off, or a rising bill, almost always points to a leak after the meter.

Meter turning or unusual water bill in Paris or the inner suburbs? Call +33 1 89 70 15 36 (01 89 70 15 36 from a French phone), 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, or use the contact page. Our leak detection and repair service locates the leak and provides the repair certificate you need for a bill reduction.

Where does responsibility change hands?

The water meter is the boundary between two zones:

• Before the meter (street side): the connection between the public main under the road and the meter is part of the public network, run by the water utility. In Paris that is Eau de Paris.
• After the meter (home side): the pipes are private and the responsibility of the water account holder, whether an owner-occupier, a landlord or the co-owned building.

The shut-off valve just after the meter marks the start of the private installation.

How it works in a Paris apartment building

In a co-owned building (copropriété) there is an extra level:

• the building's main meter, often in the cellar or a service room, is where the water utility delivers;
• the riser pipe (colonne montante), which carries water up to each floor, and the horizontal pipes in the basement are shared parts of the building, the responsibility of the co-ownership;
• each flat's branch, from the connection on the riser to the taps, is generally private.

In many buildings each flat also has a sub-meter (compteur divisionnaire) on the landing or in a service duct, used to split consumption between flats. The building's co-ownership rules (règlement de copropriété) set out what is shared and what is private: when in doubt, they are the reference. For anything involving the riser, see riser pipe leaks in a co-owned building.

The meter test: confirm the leak and narrow it down

How to read your water meter

Your flat's meter is usually on the landing, in a service duct or in the cellar. On a mechanical meter, read the index from left to right:

• the figures on a black background show cubic metres (1 m³ = 1,000 litres): these are the ones used for billing;
• the figures on a red background, or the small dials with needles, show litres;
• the small wheel or star turns as soon as any water flows, even drop by drop.

On a digital meter, press the button to scroll through the display. Always note the full index, decimals included, before and after the test.

Confirm there is a leak

1. Turn off every water outlet: taps, shower, toilet, washing machine, dishwasher, water softener.
2. Note the full reading, decimals included.
3. Wait 30 minutes without using water; an hour or overnight for a slow leak.
4. Read it again. If the figure has moved, water is flowing somewhere.

On older meters a small needle, wheel or star turns even at a very low flow: if it moves while everything is off, water is running. Newer meters have a digital display or indicator light that does the same job. If the reading has not moved, repeat the test overnight: some leaks are very slow.

Narrow it down with the shut-off valve

Next, close your flat's main shut-off valve and watch the meter:

• the meter stops: the leak is inside your flat, after the shut-off valve;
• the meter keeps turning: either the valve no longer closes fully, which happens with old valves, or the leak is on the section between the meter and the valve. Tell the syndic (building manager) and have it checked: depending on the layout and the co-ownership rules, that section may be private or shared.

If clear water is running on the pavement, at the foot of the building or in the main meter room while the meters are not turning, the leak is upstream: it is the public network.

Leak before the meter: the public network

How to spot it: clear water running permanently on the pavement or in the meter room, unrelated to your use, while the meter is still.

Who repairs it: the network operator. In Paris, Eau de Paris repairs the section before the meter at no cost to the account holder.

What to do:

• report it to Eau de Paris by phone or through its online form (or to your town's water service in the inner suburbs);
• tell the syndic;
• do not try to repair it: the connection is under pressure and partly on public land.

A private plumber does not work on this section. A plumber can, however, diagnose whether the leak is before or after the meter.

Leak after the meter: the account holder's responsibility

Everything after the meter belongs to the account holder:

• the pipes between the meter and the flat;
• the pipes inside the flat (under the sink, in walls, under tiles);
• appliance connections (toilet, bath, shower, washing machine, dishwasher);
• taps and shut-off valves.

Tenant, landlord, building: who pays for what?

The tenant pays for routine upkeep of taps, washers, flexible hoses and cistern mechanisms, replacement of small wearing parts, and repair of a leak caused by lack of routine upkeep (French decree of 26 August 1987 on tenant repairs).

The landlord pays for replacing old or failing pipes, repairing a leak caused by a structural defect (pipe corroded through, faulty fitting installed before the tenant moved in) and destructive leak search work (opening a wall, lifting tiles).

The co-ownership pays for leaks on shared parts (risers, basement pipes, riser valves), for the leak search on those parts and for their repair, even when only one flat is affected.

If there is a disagreement, the lease and the co-ownership rules are the reference. In practice a plumber's diagnosis is often needed to tell whether the leak comes from a wearing part, an old pipe or a shared pipe.

Home insurance generally covers the damage caused by the leak, more rarely the repair of the leak itself. For the leak search, see leak detection and insurance in Paris.

High water bill: what to check

A one-off increase can have a simple reason: an estimated reading later corrected, the season (watering a balcony, guests, more laundry), a change in the household. If the increase repeats over several periods, or nothing explains it, look for a leak. A leak runs without a break, at night and while you are away: even a thin trickle adds up to a large volume.

The usual leaks behind a rising bill

• The toilet cistern running into the bowl, often silently. Test: a few drops of food colouring in the tank; if colour appears in the bowl without flushing, the mechanism leaks.
• A dripping tap or a cracked hose under a sink.
• The water heater safety valve running all the time, not just while heating.
• A water softener badly set or stuck in regeneration.
• A pipe inside a wall or under a slab.

Hot water or cold water?

If your electricity or gas bill goes up at the same time as your water bill, a hot water leak is a serious possibility: the water heater keeps topping up. A warm patch on a floor or wall points the same way. A cold water leak shows up rather as cool damp. Note these clues before the visit: they guide the search.

Find the area before you call

After the meter test, close the room valves one at a time (toilet, bathroom, kitchen) if your installation has them. If the meter slows or stops after closing one, the leak is in that area. If nothing stops it and nothing is visible, the leak is probably inside a wall or floor and needs a leak search. Our guide to hidden water leaks and detection without breaking walls explains the methods.

Getting your water bill reduced (dégrèvement)

When a leak after the meter has caused over-consumption, the account holder can ask for a bill reduction. This right comes from the Warsmann law of 17 May 2011 (article L. 2224-12-4 of the French General Code of Local Authorities).

Conditions

• The leak must be on a pipe after the meter. Leaks from household appliances, taps or toilet cisterns are excluded.
• The leak must have been repaired by a professional.
• The account holder must send the water utility a repair certificate within one month of being told about the over-consumption.

Calculation: the water utility only bills twice your usual average consumption, calculated over the last three years. Anything above is cancelled, for both the water and the sewerage parts of the bill.

Steps

1. Have the leak repaired by a plumber.
2. Ask for a repair certificate stating the type and location of the leak, the repair date and the professional's details.
3. Send it to Eau de Paris (post or online form) within the deadline.
4. The reduction appears on the next bill or as a credit note.

In Paris, the Eau de Paris account holder is often the co-owned building, with one main meter for the whole building. If that is your case, go through the syndic: they deal with the water utility, then split the charges.

What to do straight away

1. Shut off the water at the nearest valve, the flat's valve or, if necessary, the building's main valve.
2. Protect furniture and belongings, mop up.
3. Narrow down the leak with the meter test.
4. Tell the right person: Eau de Paris for a leak before the meter; a plumber for a leak after the meter in your flat; the syndic, and your insurer, if a shared part or a neighbour is affected.
5. Document with photos.
6. Do not wait: even a small leak damages walls and floors.

If water is actively flowing, follow our guide water leak emergency: who to call.

Keeping consumption down

Once the leak is fixed, your bill should go back to normal: that confirms the diagnosis. A few habits avoid nasty surprises:

• read the meter once a month;
• fix any drip straight away;
• fit tap aerators and a dual-flush cistern;
• have the pressure checked: pressure that is too high wears out seals and causes repeat leaks;
• descale regularly, as Paris water is hard.

For our leak search and repair prices, see our rates.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays for a leak before the meter?

The drinking water network operator, Eau de Paris in the city, repairs leaks before the meter at no cost to the account holder. You just need to report it.

Is the co-owned building responsible for a leak before the meter?

If the leak is before the building's main meter, it belongs to the water utility, not the building. Between the main meter and the flats, the shared pipes (riser, basement pipes) are the co-ownership's responsibility. Tell the syndic in both cases.

Can a water meter turn without a leak?

Yes, if there is still some use you forgot: a cistern refilling, a washing machine or dishwasher running, a softener regenerating, a water heater whose safety valve releases expansion water while heating. Repeat the test when everything is truly off. If the meter still turns, there is a leak. A faulty meter is rare: if in doubt, the water utility can check it.

Leak inside a wall: tenant or landlord?

If it comes from a washer or fitting whose routine upkeep is the tenant's job, the tenant pays. If it comes from an old pipe built into the wall, the landlord pays. If the pipe is a shared part of the building, the co-ownership pays. A plumber's diagnosis settles it.

Can I get a bill reduction for a leaking toilet?

No. The Warsmann law excludes leaks from household appliances, taps and toilet cisterns. The reduction applies to leaks on pipes after the meter, repaired by a professional.

Have the leak found and fixed

Réseau Tubulure works across Paris and the inner suburbs (92, 93, 94), 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, on private and shared pipework, and gives you the repair certificate needed for a bill reduction. Many of our plumbers speak English.

• Phone: +33 1 89 70 15 36
• Form: contact us
• WhatsApp: from the button on the site

See our leak detection and repair service.