Shared water supply responsibility??
Discussion
The water supply pipe is the owners responsibility once it leaves the pavement (usually shortly after the stop tap or meter)
If the old lead (single shared) water supply pipe passes under the back yard of six adjoining terraced properties who is responsible for its upkeep is it still the owners?
(I am aware that if more than one property shares a sewer drain it is the water boards responsibility)
If the old lead (single shared) water supply pipe passes under the back yard of six adjoining terraced properties who is responsible for its upkeep is it still the owners?
(I am aware that if more than one property shares a sewer drain it is the water boards responsibility)
property owners on shared supply have joint responsibility
e.g.
https://www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water/whose-pi...
https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/tap-water/my-w...
e.g.
https://www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water/whose-pi...
https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/tap-water/my-w...
This response is possibly off target,
We have a similar layout of lead pipe water delivery.
We are number 2 in around 10 properties.
We had a bit of a lead pipe leak at our property.
Seven Trent were reluctant to come out but eventually did -."Not their responsibility".
The helpful coalface guy said that because of the lead pipe Seven Trent will install modern MDPE pipe for free as long as we dig a trench from an agreed boundary site to the house.
I would guess there is some flexibility in the policies and procedures.
As said, it's probably not relevant but it does offer some hope of flexibility that can be actioned.
Thanks for the replies – it is as I expected but leads me to ask:
If I request a water meter to be fitted, the water board would have a few alternatives:
1 Fix the new meter next to my property connected from/using the leaking shared supply pipe.
2 run a new individual supply pipe from the pavement stop tap supply to the property.
3 Refuse to fit a meter presumably stating too costly (The property is perhaps 20 metres from the pavement)
5 Agree to fit a meter on the pavement but insist I pay for the new supply pipe digging under the neigbours yards
Any ideas?
If I request a water meter to be fitted, the water board would have a few alternatives:
1 Fix the new meter next to my property connected from/using the leaking shared supply pipe.
2 run a new individual supply pipe from the pavement stop tap supply to the property.
3 Refuse to fit a meter presumably stating too costly (The property is perhaps 20 metres from the pavement)
5 Agree to fit a meter on the pavement but insist I pay for the new supply pipe digging under the neigbours yards
Any ideas?
andyxxx said:
Thanks for the replies it is as I expected but leads me to ask:
If I request a water meter to be fitted, the water board would have a few alternatives:
1 Fix the new meter next to my property connected from/using the leaking shared supply pipe.
2 run a new individual supply pipe from the pavement stop tap supply to the property.
3 Refuse to fit a meter presumably stating too costly (The property is perhaps 20 metres from the pavement)
5 Agree to fit a meter on the pavement but insist I pay for the new supply pipe digging under the neigbours yards
Any ideas?
I haven't a succinct reply, but think a way forward would be to request a meter and when they arrive refuse to be connected to the lead supply (if that's what they want to do - you have good reason to do this) and request a new MDPE supply and see how the respond?If I request a water meter to be fitted, the water board would have a few alternatives:
1 Fix the new meter next to my property connected from/using the leaking shared supply pipe.
2 run a new individual supply pipe from the pavement stop tap supply to the property.
3 Refuse to fit a meter presumably stating too costly (The property is perhaps 20 metres from the pavement)
5 Agree to fit a meter on the pavement but insist I pay for the new supply pipe digging under the neigbours yards
Any ideas?
This is where some flexibility might come into play.
I believe water meters are always at the roadside, not on your land/property.
It might be worth reading your property title to see if there's any specific mention of responsibility for shared services.
Can a new supply pipe be led from the main to your house without needing to go under other properties? That sounds attractive.
If there's no meter at the moment are you all just paying water rates? If so, you should compare the cost with typical metered bills for a similar household. It might help you swallow the cost of any necessary works. Your neighbours might all think it's a good idea as well, enabling some economy of scale.
It might be worth reading your property title to see if there's any specific mention of responsibility for shared services.
Can a new supply pipe be led from the main to your house without needing to go under other properties? That sounds attractive.
If there's no meter at the moment are you all just paying water rates? If so, you should compare the cost with typical metered bills for a similar household. It might help you swallow the cost of any necessary works. Your neighbours might all think it's a good idea as well, enabling some economy of scale.
We’ve had one leaking lead supply replaced (admittedly a few years ago) and several new ones quite recently.
The lead replacement was free if we dug in the pipe. A quote for one of their approved contractors to do it came back surprisingly cheap so we let them do it instead of losing a weekend. Aside from the fact that it’s usually quite a deep dig, the hardest part is usually getting the pipe in to the property as it either needs to come up well within the insulated envelope of the building from a certain depth (650mm iirc) or, depending on how/where it’s coming in, using insulated ducting or an insulated entry point.
New supply doesn’t have to go in at the same point as the old one and it’s dead easy these days to connect MDPE to copper.
IIRC they have an obligation to fit a meter if you request one.
Having a dedicated supply will also probably give you better water pressure but you almost certainly won’t get a new connection without a meter (which can indeed be expensive if your water usage is heavy). 20m run isn’t going to be problematic. If the run length and usage combination needs it they’ll just tell you that larger pipe is needed.
The lead replacement was free if we dug in the pipe. A quote for one of their approved contractors to do it came back surprisingly cheap so we let them do it instead of losing a weekend. Aside from the fact that it’s usually quite a deep dig, the hardest part is usually getting the pipe in to the property as it either needs to come up well within the insulated envelope of the building from a certain depth (650mm iirc) or, depending on how/where it’s coming in, using insulated ducting or an insulated entry point.
New supply doesn’t have to go in at the same point as the old one and it’s dead easy these days to connect MDPE to copper.
IIRC they have an obligation to fit a meter if you request one.
RGG said:
I haven't a succinct reply, but think a way forward would be to request a meter and when they arrive refuse to be connected to the lead supply (if that's what they want to do - you have good reason to do this) and request a new MDPE supply and see how the respond?
This is where some flexibility might come into play.
They will undertake a survey before booking the work. This is where some flexibility might come into play.
Panamax said:
I believe water meters are always at the roadside, not on your land/property.
It might be worth reading your property title to see if there's any specific mention of responsibility for shared services.
Can a new supply pipe be led from the main to your house without needing to go under other properties? That sounds attractive.
If there's no meter at the moment are you all just paying water rates? If so, you should compare the cost with typical metered bills for a similar household. It might help you swallow the cost of any necessary works. Your neighbours might all think it's a good idea as well, enabling some economy of scale.
They sometimes install meters on private land if that the only sensible option.It might be worth reading your property title to see if there's any specific mention of responsibility for shared services.
Can a new supply pipe be led from the main to your house without needing to go under other properties? That sounds attractive.
If there's no meter at the moment are you all just paying water rates? If so, you should compare the cost with typical metered bills for a similar household. It might help you swallow the cost of any necessary works. Your neighbours might all think it's a good idea as well, enabling some economy of scale.
Having a dedicated supply will also probably give you better water pressure but you almost certainly won’t get a new connection without a meter (which can indeed be expensive if your water usage is heavy). 20m run isn’t going to be problematic. If the run length and usage combination needs it they’ll just tell you that larger pipe is needed.
Water companies will definitely install a meter inside a house if that's the only (read cheapest) option. Thames water are currently constantly mailing me to do this - very unclear why they can't install it on the verge outside my house. Currently ignoring them as they're phrasing it as 'book an appointment to make it convenient to you' which doesn't strike me as a 'you must do this' - it's going to be a total faff as our supply pipe enters in the loft and I don't fancy them making new connections in an uninsulated space for obvious reasons. Good chance they'll put us on an assessed charge or realise that they can actually do it on the verge afterall.
andyxxx said:
Thanks for the replies it is as I expected but leads me to ask:
If I request a water meter to be fitted, the water board would have a few alternatives:
1 Fix the new meter next to my property connected from/using the leaking shared supply pipe.
2 run a new individual supply pipe from the pavement stop tap supply to the property.
3 Refuse to fit a meter presumably stating too costly (The property is perhaps 20 metres from the pavement)
5 Agree to fit a meter on the pavement but insist I pay for the new supply pipe digging under the neigbours yards
Any ideas?
I thought that if the water company decide they can't fit a meter then they will put you on some sort of 'average' plan, whereby they will assess your property and charge you what an average metered user would use in something similar If I request a water meter to be fitted, the water board would have a few alternatives:
1 Fix the new meter next to my property connected from/using the leaking shared supply pipe.
2 run a new individual supply pipe from the pavement stop tap supply to the property.
3 Refuse to fit a meter presumably stating too costly (The property is perhaps 20 metres from the pavement)
5 Agree to fit a meter on the pavement but insist I pay for the new supply pipe digging under the neigbours yards
Any ideas?
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