Plumbing in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia

Checked on 2 October 2026

1. In the Brussels region, Vivaqua is responsible for the water connection and the metering equipment. Its responsibility ends after the downstream coupling of the first Vivaqua meter, seals excluded, except in specific cases.

   Source:vivaqua.be

2. In the Brussels region, the private water installation starts downstream of the first Vivaqua meter, and the subscriber or user is responsible for it at their own cost.

   Source:vivaqua.be

3. In the Brussels region, Vivaqua owns the metering equipment, except the stirrup supports and the non-return valve, and only Vivaqua may install, maintain or replace meters. The subscriber must keep and protect them.

   Source:vivaqua.be

4. In the Brussels region, for a water leak in the street or in the cellar before the meter, Bruxelles Environnement refers people to Vivaqua, reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

   Source:environnement.brussels

5. In the Brussels region, after a leak in the private installation, the subscriber or user can ask Vivaqua, within 12 months of the annual bill, for a reduction on volumes of at least twice their usual consumption.

   Source:vivaqua.be

6. In the Brussels region, under Vivaqua’s leak tariff, volumes of two to four times the usual consumption are billed at 50 % of the rate, and volumes above four times at 10 %.

   Source:vivaqua.be

7. In the Brussels region, to obtain the leak reduction, the repair must be proven with before and after photos or, failing that, a professional’s invoice. No reduction applies if the leak results from non-compliance with Belgaqua’s prescriptions.

   Source:vivaqua.be

8. In the Brussels region, every connected private installation must meet Belgaqua’s technical prescriptions (standard NBN EN 1717), with no connection between mains water and water from another source.

   Source:vivaqua.be

9. In the Brussels region, Vivaqua checks the private installation for conformity, at the subscriber’s cost, for every new or modified connection. If it does not meet Belgaqua’s prescriptions, the connection and meter are not installed.

   Source:vivaqua.be

10. In the Brussels region, the private water installation must have at least a valve directly after the meter and a type EA non-return valve; for a new connection, Vivaqua fits them at the subscriber’s cost.

    Source:vivaqua.be

11. In the Brussels region, the subscriber or user must protect the private water installation against frost, at their own cost. A meter pit must be protected against frost.

    Source:vivaqua.be

12. In the Brussels region, the subscriber is liable to Vivaqua for frost damage to the meter and to the part of the connection inside the building housing it, unless Vivaqua made a mistake when installing it.

    Source:vivaqua.be

Checked on 2 October 2026

1. In Flanders, only the water company or its appointed contractor may install, modify, maintain or repair the service connection (aftakking). The service connection is the property of the water company.

   Source:codex.vlaanderen.be

2. In Flanders, the service connection (aftakking) is the set of pipes and equipment laid by the water company from the distribution main up to the household pipe network. The boundary with the customer’s household pipe network lies immediately downstream of the service connection.

   Source:codex.vlaanderen.be

3. In Flanders, the water meter is the property of the water company; it is installed at the customer’s premises to record the volume of water supplied and may be analogue or digital.

   Source:codex.vlaanderen.be

4. In Flanders, in case of abnormally high water consumption, customers can ask the water company for an amicable settlement within six months of the invoice date. Hidden causes include leaks in underground pipes, in pipes embedded in the floor, in inaccessible crawl spaces and in a meter pit.

   Source:codex.vlaanderen.be

5. In Flanders, this amicable settlement requires, among other things, that the abnormal consumption, converted to an annual basis, exceeds the average annual consumption by at least 50% or amounts to at least 100 m³, that the cause is established by the water company or proven by the repair invoice, and that the cause has been repaired or removed.

   Source:vmm.vlaanderen.be

6. In Flanders, when an amicable settlement is granted, the average annual consumption is billed at the applicable variable rate. For a customer that is not a business, the abnormally high consumption up to 300 m³ per dwelling is billed at no more than 25% of the variable rate under the progressive tariff structure and no more than 50% under the flat tariff structure.

   Source:vmm.vlaanderen.be

7. In Flanders, every indoor installation connected to the public drinking water network must be inspected before it is first used and after major changes that could threaten public health or the proper functioning of the installation and the public network.

   Source:codex.vlaanderen.be

8. In Flanders, a second-circuit water installation must also be inspected: water from the owner’s own source, such as rainwater or groundwater, that is not used as drinking water, for example for the toilet, the washing machine or cleaning.

   Source:vmm.vlaanderen.be

9. In Flanders, customers request the inspection of their water installation themselves and pay for it. AquaFlanders, the umbrella organisation of the Flemish water companies, trains and accredits the inspectors.

   Source:vmm.vlaanderen.be

10. In Flanders, the customer or owner, as custodian of the service connection, must protect the accessible part of the connection and the place where the water meter is located against freezing, among other risks.

    Source:codex.vlaanderen.be

Checked on 2 October 2026

1. In Wallonia, the boundary between the water distribution network and the private installation, called the junction point (point de jonction), lies immediately downstream of the water meter, excluding the outlet seal. Where there is no meter, the point is set by agreement between the owner and the supplier or, failing that, at the boundary of the private property.

   Source:wallex.wallonie.be

2. In Wallonia, the water connection, meaning all pipes and fittings from the tapping on the distributor’s main up to the junction point, belongs to the water distributor, which is responsible for it and maintains it.

   Source:wallex.wallonie.be

3. In Wallonia, users and owners may not dismantle, move, modify or repair any part of the connection installed by the water distributor. Repairs to the distributor’s part of the connection caused by the owner’s misuse are charged to the owner.

   Source:wallex.wallonie.be

4. In Wallonia, in the area served by SWDE, SWDE is responsible for the connection up to the meter, including the pipe from the main in the street, the stop valve before the meter, the seal before the meter and the meter itself; the customer is responsible for the installation beyond the meter.

   Source:swde.be

5. In Wallonia, on the part of the water connection route located on private land, no above-ground or buried construction and no shrub planting may be placed above the connection, within one metre fifty on each side of the pipe’s axis.

   Source:wallex.wallonie.be

6. In Wallonia, when an abnormal rise in water consumption is caused by a hidden leak, the customer can obtain a preferential rate under conditions, including proof of repair: the excess volume is billed at 50% of the distribution charge (CVD), up to a maximum of 2 000 m³, and is fully exempt from the sanitation charge (CVA). This rate is a one-off, exceptional measure.

   Source:wallex.wallonie.be

7. In Wallonia, a hidden leak is a leak that is hard to detect on the private water installation supplying a dwelling. Leaks caused by faulty household appliances, sanitary fittings or heating installations and their connections are not hidden leaks.

   Source:wallex.wallonie.be

8. In Wallonia, since 1 June 2021, the CertIBEau (water certificate for buildings) is mandatory for buildings connected to the water supply for the first time. The certificate, which confirms that the installation complies, is the condition for the connection to be put into service for good.

   Source:wallonie.be

9. In Wallonia, the CertIBEau certifier’s visit covers two parts: water distribution inside the dwelling, including any connections with alternative water sources such as rainwater or well water, and the discharge and treatment of waste water and rainwater.

   Source:wallonie.be

10. In Wallonia, the owner and the user must take all steps to prevent damage to the water meter. They are liable for frost damage to the meter and to the part of the connection inside the building that houses the meter, unless it is established that the distributor made a mistake in designing or carrying out the installation of the connection.

    Source:wallex.wallonie.be

Checked on 2 October 2026

1. Directive (EU) 2020/2184 on the quality of water intended for human consumption sets a parametric value for lead of 10 µg/l until 12 January 2036. The value of 5 µg/l must be met by that date at the latest.

   Source:eur-lex.europa.eu

2. In Belgium, in a co-owned building, where the title deeds are silent or contradictory, the parts of buildings or land used by all co-owners, or by some of them, are deemed to be common parts.

   Source:ejustice.just.fgov.be

3. Co-ownership charges, in particular maintenance, repair and renovation costs, are shared according to the respective value of each private unit, unless the parties decide to share them in proportion to the usefulness for each private unit.

   Source:ejustice.just.fgov.be

4. The syndic (building manager) is responsible for carrying out, and having carried out, the decisions of the general assembly, and for performing all protective acts and all acts of provisional management.

   Source:ejustice.just.fgov.be

5. In Belgium, each co-owner has a legal, free-of-charge right to install, maintain or renew cables, pipes and associated equipment in or on the common parts, where the works aim to optimise the infrastructure of the private units concerned for energy, water or telecommunications and the other co-owners bear no financial cost.

   Source:ejustice.just.fgov.be

6. To use this right, the co-owner sends a description of the planned works to the other co-owners or to the syndic by registered mail at least two months before the works start. Within two months of receipt, the co-owners or the association of co-owners may object on the basis of a legitimate interest.

   Source:ejustice.just.fgov.be