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Plumbing emergency? Do this first

Stop the water, keep power away from it, then get a plumber. Two minutes on the steps below can save a floor.

Send an urgent request

1. Stop the water

Turn off the main stop valve, usually beside your water meter. For a leak at one fixture, the small valve under the sink or behind the toilet may be enough.

2. Keep electricity away from it

If water is near sockets, appliances or the distribution board, switch off the affected circuit at the DB box. Do not touch switches with wet hands.

3. Your home, or the whole block?

If neighbours have the same problem, it is likely common property: report it to your Town Council (HDB) or the management office (condo). Town Councils maintain the water tanks and pipes on common property in HDB estates (MSE, 2024).

4. Send a request

Tick "Water is flooding, or I have no water" so the request is treated as urgent. Ask the plumber for the total, including any after-hours surcharge, before they come.

5. Record it

Photograph the leak and any damage with the time. If it reached the flat below, or came from above, the photos help settle who pays.

Urgent plumbing request

A plumber who covers your area calls you back with a price.

Type of home

Emergency questions

Where is the main stop valve in an HDB flat?

Usually beside your water meter, which in most HDB blocks is in a meter compartment along the corridor outside the flat. Turning it clockwise shuts off water to your home.

How much does an emergency plumber cost at night?

Some firms publish after-hours surcharges: for example about S$50 on weekday evenings and S$80 to S$100 from 10pm to 8am at one firm, and S$150 to S$350 for an urgent after-hours call at another. Ask for the total before they come.

The whole block has no water. Who do I call?

In an HDB estate, the Town Council, which maintains the water tanks and pipes on common property. In a condo, the management office.

Get a plumber