Sydney Water Tap in®

Online applications, approvals and plans

Are you building or renovating and wonder where to start? Sydney Water Tap in is available 24/7. It's the quick, convenient way to request and review building plan approvals, purchase service and wastewater diagrams, apply for water connections or disconnections, and much more. It only takes a minute to sign up. You can find out the cost of diagrams, prints or services ahead of time by reading our Prices for other services.

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Have a question?
Email us at swtapin@sydneywater.com.au. 
Need help to use the system?
Call us on 13 000 TAP IN (1300 082 746) from 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Manage one project or many

Apply online using Sydney Water Tap in

See what you can do

Check the frequently asked questions

Manage one project or many

Sydney Water Tap in lets you manage your projects and review the progress of your transactions in one easy-to-use online service. All you need to sign up is a valid email address. Then you can log in to access all your applications and transactions online, safely and securely. Plus you can access your transaction history anytime. We approve around 70% of building plans automatically. 

Apply online using Sydney Water Tap in

  1. Search for your property
    Search for a property using a Google map, your address or your Sydney Water account number.
  2. Search by product or service
    Once you've selected your property, choose the service you need to apply for.
  3. Complete the online application form
  4. Review and pay
    Review your application and pay online using Visa or Mastercard. You can also use BPAY for Section 73 Compliance Certificates (BPAY may take 2–3 days to process). 

You’ll receive your diagram or approval letter as a PDF.

See what you can do

When you develop or subdivide land, your council or certifier tells you if you need us to give you a Section 73 Compliance Certificate. Your application fee covers:

  • a full assessment of your application and building plans by a technical expert
  • an experienced case manager who’ll look after your application from start to finish
  • a Section 73 Compliance Certificate and building plan approval once any required work is completed.

Sydney Water Developer Direct will email you a Notice of Requirements within 14 days of getting your application. If you don’t need to construct any works, you’ll receive your Section 73 Compliance Certificate at the same time.

You must apply if you’d like to disconnect from a drinking water or wastewater service.

If you need building approval from a council or certifier, you also need our approval. So before you apply for connections to a new development – even building a swimming pool or adding a home extension – make sure we’ve checked and approved your building plan. This ensures your project doesn’t damage our infrastructure or prevent us from working on it, and that your building is protected if we need to work on our infrastructure in the future.

We provide diagrams and prints as PDFs so you can locate our pipes, the private wastewater pipes on your property and your point of connection to our wastewater system. You can order:

  • wastewater service diagrams 
  • service location prints 
  • asset construction drawings 
  • supply system diagrams.

Your plumber will need to make an application to us when they want to connect to our water, wastewater and stormwater pipes. 

It's useful to know the application requirements before you apply.  Connecting to our systems (291KB)  can tell you more about our services and our requirements for connection, and  Your responsibilities when connected to our services (358KB)  can tell you about your rights and obligations once you're connected.

You need to apply if you want to upsize or downsize your existing drinking water service or recycled water service.

Apply to boost the pressure of your drinking water service or pump to a wastewater outlet or gravity wastewater system. Maybe you’re in a low-pressure area, or need to serve fire services or header tanks for multi-storey buildings.

You’ll need approval if your project requires you to raise or lower any Sydney Water asset. Assets includes maintenance structures for drinking water, recycled water or wastewater.

You need to apply for a meter at least 2 weeks before you start building so you can have water on site from day one. You can choose to: 

  • ask us to install the meter – we’ll install it within 10 working days once we approve your application
  • tell us that you or your plumber will install the meter – you’ll also need to apply for a connection approval letter. 

If your business produces trade wastewater, we need to assess the operational, environmental and safety risks. That’s why you must apply for our written approval. We’ll assess the outcome of your application within 21 days and let you know what you need to do.

Your privacy
We collect your personal information to help deliver services to you. Find out more about how we manage your privacy.

Check the frequently asked questions

General

How are prices for applications determined? 

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) determines our prices. You’ll find itemised prices for Sydney Water Tap in services at prices for other services. 

 

How do we determine the prices of an asset adjustment job? 

We use a quote process to manage the price of asset adjustments. 

 

Where can I find an accredited external provider? 

View a list of accredited external providers. 

Building plan approvals

What plans do I need to submit?

The site plan is usually suitable. Make sure it covers all works and excavation, including driveways and stormwater detention basins or pits.

 

Do I need to submit details of each structure?

Yes. If you’re building, say, both a house and a pool, you need to submit details of each structure.

 

Do plans need to be approved by council or a certifier before I apply?

No, you can apply at any time, although you need to check with council what approvals they require.

 

Do I need to apply again if you want to move a structure and change the plans?

Yes, if your plans have changed, you need to apply again.

 

What if I’ve been given approval but find some Sydney Water pipes on my property?

Call us on 1300 082 746 as soon as possible.

 

Can I apply if I don’t need approval?

Yes. You might not need approval for a driveway, but getting it ready might mean digging near our water main or sewer. If you're worried that your building works might affect our pipes, please apply and submit the details. We'll determine if everything is okay. 

 

What can I do if my plans haven’t been approved?

We’ll review the information submitted and let you know the outcome. If we can’t approve the plans, it’s because your building or excavation works might affect our pipes. We’ll put you in touch with a water servicing coordinator who can further assess this for you.

Sewer (wastewater) service diagrams 

What do the symbols on the sewer service diagram mean?

Our Help with your sewer diagram fact sheet tells you what symbols mean, what they do and how to get help.

 

What does it mean when the diagram is restricted?

There are different reasons why diagrams have restricted access. For example, you may need to provide written permission from the property owner before we can provide the diagram to you.

 

Why doesn’t the diagram show the new work on site?

Check if your plumber has finalised the works with NSW Fair Trading. We receive the updated diagrams once the works have been finalised.

 

How can I contact the plumber who did the work?

If the diagram was drawn after 2009, the plumber’s licence number will be on the diagram. Contact NSW Fair Trading to confirm their details.

 

What can I do if a diagram isn’t available?

Check if your plumber has finalised the works with NSW Fair Trading. We receive the updated diagrams once the works have been finalised.

 

Why doesn’t the diagram show where Sydney Water’s pipes are located?

To find the location of our pipes, you’’ll need to buy a Service Location Print. Diagrams drawn before 2009 may also show the location of our sewer, but new diagrams only show work done by the licensed plumber.

 

Can I use this diagram to plan my building works?

These diagrams are generally not to scale, so you shouldn’t use them to design your building works. Always use a Service Location Print.

 

Who can provide a better copy if the plumber’s drawn diagram is hard to read?

Unfortunately, we can’t change the diagram drawn by the licensed plumber.

Discharge trade wastewater 

What should I do if I don’t know exactly when my business will start trading or discharging? 

Pick a date close to when you feel you may be ready to start trading. We’ll use that date for the start of your approval. 

 

How do I know what kind of pre-treatment equipment or grease trap to install? 

Find out about commercial trade wastewater requirements. Otherwise, a Business Customer Representative will be in contact to advise you on your requirements. 

 

How long does it take to get trade wastewater approval? 

It can take up to 21 days to issue trade wastewater approval documents. 

 

Will I need an inspection? 

All trade wastewater applications need an inspection. We’ll arrange an inspection soon after you’ve started trading. 

 

What if my business activity or type isn’t listed? 

Select ‘Other’ and use the text box to tell us about your business or activity in more detail.

Section 73 Certificate applications 

What happens if I misplace my application information? 

If you’ve signed up to Sydney Water Tap in, a copy of your application information will be in your Dashboard.

 

Who can construct works to comply with my Notice of Requirements? 

You can choose to use either a water servicing coordinator or Sydney Water Developer Direct. We’ll provide a quote for any construction works with your notice letter.