Shared Water Pipe

[foreverme]

Hi Folks,
Quick question, i am at the end of shared pipe with my neighbour, i have a stop cock at the bottom of my garden the pipe then goes down the hill to his property where the main supply is the distance is around 500m.
They are now having some work down to split the house from two into four houses and have approached me about the cost of maintaining the pipe, my deeds state i have right of access and that they supply the water, my question is what are my obligations here, in my mind this has only come up due to the redevelopment..

thanks

[herewego]

I'd be surprised if the deeds don't say you are required to pay a share of any reasonable maintenance costs but I'm sure they don't say you have to pay for your neighbour's development costs. Maybe they are claiming it was in poor condition and needed replacement as maintenance in which case I think I'd be asking to see the surveyor's report. Sound more than a bit cheeky really.

[foreverme]

more than happy todo my share, its a 50/50, but seems strange after 10 years its come up just as they are looking to expand to 4 houses...

[herewego]

I wouldn't be surprised if they want to increase the size of the pipe and are hoping to recoup some of the outlay from you.

[brrapp]

foreverme said:

more than happy todo my share, its a 50/50, but seems strange after 10 years its come up just as they are looking to expand to 4 houses...

I'd think you should be looking for them to do any upgrading works required to add in the new houses entirely at their expense then revising the agreement so that now all the houses have an equal responsibility for the shared pipe (so your share will drop to a fifth). Depends exactly how the deeds are worded, but you may have control over the shared pipe and they need your permission to take more supplies off it. If so, you can hold them to ransom over it to get the agreement you want.

[GSalt]

You need to find out what they're asking, is it about the cost of upgrading the pipe to facilitate their development? and/or, the clarify the future maintenance arrangements and cost-split for maintenance in the future?

If they are looking for a contribution to changes/improvements to the supply to enable their property development I'd be politely telling them to take a jump. I'd be asking them to clarify the schedule of works and the arrangements they are putting in place to cover planned and unplanned interruption to the water supply to your property during the works. And I'd be asking them to pay for a solicitor to provide advice before the development started and to act on your behalf for the changes to the deeds (see below).

If they're looking to clarify the future maintenance arrangements (ie. update the section of the deeds to reflect the additional properties now using the shared supply) I'd ask them to pay for a solicitor to act on your behalf in this matter.


(if I really liked my neighbour and they were keeping one or more of the properties I'd settle for 50% of the solicitors fee - if they're letting or selling the property I'd insist on 100%)

[SVTRick]

Check with your water supply authority, if there is going to be additional development they might require you all to have separate supply pipes with meters fitted at boundary.(boundary boxes)
So four separate dwellings over that distance you want 4 x 32mm MDPE mains laid
the water authority will install 4 separate boundary valves / meter boxes.
A 32mm supply will be ample for even a fair size property dependant on supply pressure and if your uphill from the main.
Easy job to install if through fields a trencher and open cut or boring machine
for the rest, all four supplies can go into the same trench.

[foreverme]

Thanks all, interestingly the owner no longer lives here, he has gone to Spain , therefore all correspondence seems to be via an agent who is acting on his behalf...

[V8 Fettler]

Take some pressure readings before others start meddling.

[SVTRick]

V8 Fettler said:

Take some pressure readings before others start meddling.

You would need to take pressure and flow readings using an approved and calibrated "Logger" to carry any chance of raining a dispute or claim
Personally I would install your own service pipe and have done with it.
What might help is someone who has a directional drill rig (HDD) makes light work of small pipelines

[V8 Fettler]

I've successfully used a bastardised tyre pressure gauge to take "before and after" water pressure readings to persuade a contractor to comply to a spec.

My understanding is that there is no statutory requirement for flow but that there is a statutory requirement for pressure.

[anonymous-user]

V8 Fettler said:

I've successfully used a bastardised tyre pressure gauge to take "before and after" water pressure readings to persuade a contractor to comply with a spec.

My understanding is that there is no statutory requirement for flow but that there is a statutory requirement for pressure.

Pretty sure in England there minimum is 1 bar, up here in Scotland there is not minimum. I know this from HMO work, down south you can plumb a sprinkler system off the mains as 1 bar is supposed to be guaranteed by the water companies while in Scotland is not so you need to have a tank and pump system installed.