Protect people before property while you wait for plumbing help.
Leave immediately and call 000 from a safe place if there is fire, electric shock, structural collapse, overwhelming gas odour or another life-threatening danger.
Check the hazard before touching anything
Keep children and pets away from escaping water, sewage, gas odour, electrical equipment and unstable ceilings. Don't cross a wet or contaminated area to reach a valve or switchboard.
A sagging or bulging ceiling can collapse without warning. Leave the room below it, stay out of the roof space and don't puncture the plaster.
For a private water leak
Use the property's normal isolation valve only when you know the control and can reach it along a dry, safe route. Turn it gently and don't force a stiff or damaged valve.
Detached homes, units and managed properties can use different meter and isolation arrangements. If you're unsure, contact the building manager, relevant water provider or attending plumber.
Closing the property valve may not stop water from a tank, hot-water system, shared service or provider-side fault. Report a street or pre-meter leak to the water provider for the address.
In a safe, dry area, place a container beneath a minor clean-water drip and move nearby belongings. Don't do this around electrical equipment or beneath an unstable ceiling.
If water is near electricity
Stay away from a wet or damaged switchboard, wiring, appliance or hard-wired equipment. Don't approach it to switch the power off.
The Queensland Electrical Safety Office advises that water-affected hard-wired equipment needs assessment by a licensed electrician before reuse. Solar and battery components can remain live.
If you smell gas
Don't operate lights, appliances, switches or a phone in the affected area. Avoid flames and other ignition sources, leave by a safe route, then make calls from outside.
Call 000 for an emergency or immediate danger. Contact the gas distributor or a licensed gasfitter from safety when the situation calls for it.
For the reporting pathway outside private property, see who to call about a public gas smell. A suspected private gas-system fault may require our gas leak service after urgent safety actions.
If sewage is overflowing
Keep everyone away from the contaminated area. Don't use towels, household vacuums or fans to spread or collect sewage.
Avoid contact with raw sewage, protect cuts and wash exposed skin. Seek health advice when exposure causes concern, and arrange appropriate professional cleaning for affected porous materials.
A private sanitary blockage needs licensed assessment.
Record changes and prepare safe access
- Take notes from safety: record the visible source, affected rooms, smell and when the situation changed.
- Photograph only safe areas: don't enter water, sewage, gas or an unstable space to get a better image.
- Clear access: open a safe gate or path and keep pets restrained, but leave hazardous areas untouched.
- Update the responder: report spreading water, a new gas smell, a sagging ceiling or newly wet electrical equipment.
Don't dismantle plumbing, gas or electrical equipment while waiting. Queensland pipe repairs and other regulated plumbing work require an appropriately licensed person.
Attendance timing depends on the booking and current conditions. Our response-time guide explains how to check the current position without relying on a fixed promise.
If a private sanitary blockage is still contained and everyone is clear, keep the area unused and contact our blocked drain team for an assessment.