Connections and disconnections

Here's what you need to do

There's plenty to think about before connecting to or disconnecting from our services, starting with the water, wastewater and stormwater services that you need or don't need. Make sure you understand all our application requirements and use listed providers.

Sign up for Sydney Water Tap in®
Sydney Water Tap in gives you access to convenient online Sydney Water application forms for all sorts of building and development projects, and provides step-by-step instructions on what you need to support them.

Plan connections or disconnections

Apply to connect

Make your connection

Get your plumbing inspected

Fit a water meter

Move into your building

Apply to disconnect

Drain a pool or spa

Report water theft

Make sure we've checked your building plans

Responsibility for pipes and assets

Plan connections or disconnections

First, think about the water, wastewater and stormwater services you need. To connect a development more complicated than a standard house, you may need to engage a hydraulic consultant. They can:

  • work out the best sized water connection and meter for your needs
  • design any pumps, tanks or wastewater equipment you need.

You'll also need to assess the site to determine our backflow prevention requirements and find out if you need to meet our stormwater quality targets. It's a good idea to read and understand our Connecting to our systems and Responsibility of connected customers policies.

Take a look at our prices to see all charges for your business and prices for other services.

Apply to connect

Apply at Sydney Water Tap in for:

  • water connections
  • wastewater connections
  • stormwater connections to single houses
  • permission to discharge trade wastewater.

For stormwater harvesting, sewer mining and some priority sewerage program connections, contact us or talk to a Business Customer Representative.

Find out about our application requirements for different connection applications. Applicants are responsible for the cost of applying and making a connection.

Make your connection

You need to engage a provider when we approve your connection. Choose a listed provider to make your connection and finish your plumbing work.

  • Listed drillers can make water main connections. If it's a very large connection or unusual pipe, we must make your connection.
  • Listed constructors can make a new point of connection to our gravity wastewater pipe. They can make short extensions to our system if we've given you permission.
  • Licensed plumbers can join your private plumbing to an existing water or wastewater connection. When you make a new water connection, you must get a licensed plumber to install the water pipe from the point of connection to the meter.
  • Licensed plumbers must install the water meter within 2 days of connection. If you want us to install the meter, apply at Sydney Water Tap in and we'll install it free of charge.
  • Accredited backflow plumbers must assess your site's hazard rating if you have a commercial or industrial property. A licensed plumber must install the right kind of backflow device and it must be tested every year by an accredited backflow plumber.
  • Licensed plumbers with experience working in confined spaces must make your stormwater connection.

However, Sydney Water must make your water main connection if:

  • our water mains are larger than 200 mm
  • your connection will be bigger than 50 mm
  • our pipes are made of any material except PVC (polyvinyl chloride), DICL (ductile iron cement lined) or CICL (cast iron concrete lined)
  • our pipes were laid before 1930.

Consider engaging a water servicing coordinator if you need to install pipes or equipment we've agreed to own. 

Get your plumbing inspected

NSW Fair Trading's role

NSW Fair Trading inspects plumbing on private property. This ensures it complies with the Plumbing Code of Australia. Plumbers must pay the inspection fees and book an inspection with NSW Fair Trading. You cannot pay the inspection fees to us.
 

Sydney Water's role

We're responsible for ensuring connections to our pipes meet our standards. We might inspect some plumbing installations to make sure they meet our conditions of connection. This may include plumbing such as tanks, pumps and wastewater treatment equipment.

Install a water meter

You must have a water meter or metered standpipe installed before you start using our water. Failing to install a water meter is water theft, and fines may apply.

You don't need to install a meter for a fire service unless we ask you to. Meters must be installed for fire hose reel services.

Ready to apply?
Apply to fit a meter at Sydney Water Tap in.

Move into your building

You can move in and occupy your building when council or a private certifier issues an occupation certificate. They'll need to see a copy of our Section 73 Compliance Certificate. This certifies that any works we require to our water or wastewater systems have been completed to our standards

Apply to disconnect

If you're redeveloping your property, it's important to consider how this affects service connections:

  • If a property is demolished and no longer needs a water supply, a licensed plumber must disconnect the service at the water main. You or your plumber can apply for the disconnection via Sydney Water Tap in.
  • If your development involves consolidating separate lots and you don’t need all the existing water services, you must have them correctly disconnected. This ensures you aren’t billed for unused services and helps avoid future hidden leaks.
  • If the disconnection is short term, consider the cost of ongoing service charges compared to the costs of completely disconnecting the property. Visit our prices to check the service charges that would apply.

You can apply to disconnect from our services at Sydney Water Tap in.

Drain a pool or spa

Pool and spa water must not enter the stormwater system, as it's chlorinated and needs to be treated. Always discharge chlorinated water to the wastewater system. There are 2 ways to empty a swimming pool or spa:

  • You can discharge the water to our wastewater system using the pool's pumping system and a backwash hose.
  • You can siphon the water from the pool and drain it to our wastewater system.

If the pool is 50 metres long (the equivalent of an Olympic-size pool), you need to complete an application at Sydney Water Tap in to discharge trade wastewater.

You may need a permit to refill
Check the Water Wise Guidelines before you remove any water to see if you need a permit to refill your pool. We consider each application individually. A permit will only be approved if draining and refilling is unavoidable.

Report water theft

Water theft occurs when someone is using water without a meter, which means they're not paying for it. This includes using a standpipe without a meter. You can report water theft anonymously.

Make sure we've checked your building plans

We need to check your plans to make sure your building work won't damage any of our water or wastewater pipes or structures located on your property. You can ask us to do this through Sydney Water Tap in.

In most cases, we'll approve your application automatically. However, if you plan to build over or close to our pipes, we'll refer your plans to a water servicing coordinator. They'll identify what you need to do to protect our pipes.

Responsibility for pipes and assets

Once the property is connected, property owners are generally responsible for maintaining their own pipes and equipment up to where they connect to our services. Water mains and meters are usually our responsibility. But there may be overlap, and you may share services with other properties. Plus, responsibilities may vary depending on the type of system. Maintaining your service explains standard and non-standard services in more detail. Responsibilities are itemised in our Customer Contract.

Take a look at typical system connections for simple descriptions of where the property owner's responsibility begins and ends.

Click for typical system connections and responsibilities.