The first five minutes
Burst pipe or flooding
Turn the isolation valve at the meter. Urban Utilities says it usually takes a quarter turn. In a townhouse or unit, the meter may be beside your door or in a shared cabinet.
Valve won't move
Don't force it. Urban Utilities' 24/7 faults line can help if you can't operate it.
Gas smell
Get everyone outside, leave switches and flames alone, and ring the emergency number on your gas bill from out there.
Sewage in the street or from a maintenance hole
That's Urban Utilities' sewer. Ring its faults line, which runs 24/7.
Sewage inside
Call your insurer, or the property manager if you rent. Urban Utilities can't enter homes or disinfect inside.
Whose emergency is it?
| Who to call | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| Water gushing in the street, or from the meter | Urban Utilities | It owns the meter and the pipes leading away from your property. |
| A burst pipe between the meter and the house, or inside | A licensed plumber | Everything on the house side of the meter belongs to the owner. |
| Sewage from your gully or inspection opening | Urban Utilities first | It asks to be called when these are holding liquid or overflowing, so it can check its side. |
| A blocked drain on your side, no overflow | A licensed plumber | Your pipe runs to the sewer connection point, which can sit past your fence. |
| A smell of gas or a faulty gas appliance | The gas emergency line, then a licensed gas fitter | Queensland gas work needs a gas work licence. |
Brisbane emergencies, by the numbers
Know your valve before you need it
Urban Utilities suggests keeping the meter box clear and turning the isolation valve off and on a few times so it doesn't seize. A stiff valve is easier to deal with on a dry afternoon than mid-flood.
Summer storms load the sewer
February is the wettest month at the Bureau's Brisbane station, averaging 171.7 mm, and Archerfield once logged 343.7 mm in a single day. In storms like that, stormwater gets into the sewer and low gullies can overflow.
Frost is mostly a western problem
Brisbane's station has never gone below 2.6°C since 1999. Out past Ipswich, Amberley averages 6.6 days a year at or below 0°C, so exposed pipes there are worth lagging.
Check your flood risk on a dry day
Brisbane City Council's Flood Awareness Map shows how likely a property is to be hit by different kinds of flooding. Its FloodWise report compares the January 2011 and February 2022 flood levels where available.
After hours, the rules still apply
An urgent job still needs a licensed plumber, and you can look up a QBCC licence through myQBCC on your phone. For gas, search the RSHQ Portal; you don't need an account.
Keep the invoice and any report. If the fault turns out to be in Urban Utilities' sewer, the paid invoice is what you lodge a claim with. For a hidden leak, having it fixed within one month of finding it is one of Urban Utilities' conditions for help with the water bill.
Questions to ask on the phone
- What's your QBCC licence number, or your gas work licence number?
- If it's a blocked sewer, will you check whether it's on Urban Utilities' side before digging?
- Will I get a written report and an itemised invoice?
- What can wait for business hours once the water is off?
What we would do
Shut off what you can first: water at the meter, power to an electric hot water unit, everyone outside for gas. Then work out whose pipe it is. Anything in the street, at the meter or coming from your gully goes to Urban Utilities before you pay anyone. For the rest, book one licensed plumber who handles urgent work, check the licence while they're on the way, and keep every piece of paper.