Water pressure is the power that moves water from our main pipes into your pipes and into your home.

The pressure of the water in the supply system is created by gravity due to the height of the source of the water, in the below example; a reservoir. (It may be assisted by using a pump)

This creates a ‘head’ of water which is measured in ‘metres head’. (You can visualise this by how high up the water will go in a vertical pipe if connected to the water main)

This means that pressure in the mains will vary depending on how elevated your house is to the source of water. You may find pressure to be lower if your supply pipe is in poor condition, if it’s a long length of pipe or if it’s shared with neighbours.

For more information on pressure, please see our high or low pressure pages.