Renewing Water Main

Invisible-Man · 5 Oct 2006

Hi,
I wish to change the water main to my property which is in a semi rural area, I wish to change from 15mm soft copper to 25mm plastic. I have dug the whole length of my front garden to a depth reaching the existing 15mm main to the edge of my property and know that the water company main runs four feet outside my property in the grass verge, the problem I have is that there is not a stop cock in this space, the only stop cock is within the property!

My questions are: Are the water board obliged to come and fit one, allowing for me to change my supply up to it, if not how do I go about fitting my new main.

Also I have not dug the on the outside of my property yet and did not know the set up of the tee'ing off from the waterboard main, in other words will I be able to get the benefit of using 25mm or will it have to be reduced down to 15mm in order to connect to their supply leaving a bottleneck!

Any help would be much appreciated,

Best regards, Martin

ChrisR · 5 Oct 2006

You need to speak to the relevant department really. The regions vary a bit. Basically you have to be able to swap over easily on the day at the house end, and you leave enough pipe poking out from your trench at the pavement end because you aren't allowed to dig outside your boundary. Depends what's there. Last one I did had a cole ole which went right out to the wall, so no trench at all.
You should have a stop cock, double check valve and drain cock your end.

bster · 5 Oct 2006

ChrisR wrote

....double check valve and drain cock your end.

Is that the regs now? d-check valve i mean. I take it your referring to his supply as it enters the property

Invisible-Man · 5 Oct 2006

ChrisR said:
You need to speak to the relevant department really. The regions vary a bit. Basically you have to be able to swap over easily on the day at the house end, and you leave enough pipe poking out from your trench at the pavement end because you aren't allowed to dig outside your boundary. Depends what's there. Last one I did had a cole ole which went right out to the wall, so no trench at all.
You should have a stop cock, double check valve and drain cock your end.

Hi ChrisR,
I was hoping to connect to the water company stop cock outside my property but there does not appear to be one, would I be allowed to do that?

doitall · 5 Oct 2006

No you will not be allowed, unless you can get the Council to permit the dig.

You are not allowed to connect to the mains either. For a cost the water supplier will make the connection.

Your other option is to make a live connection, but before you cut the pipe you need to be sure you have a fitting to connect to the existing copper.

What you would do if you proceed is cut the pipe under water so you don't get wet, and fit a stopcock (thats turned on) do the nuts up and close the valve. piece of cake if ya got the nerve

Invisible-Man · 5 Oct 2006

doitall said:
No you will not be allowed, unless you can get the Council to permit the dig.

You are not allowed to connect to the mains either. For a cost the water supplier will make the connection.

Your other option is to make a live connection, but before you cut the pipe you need to be sure you have a fitting to connect to the existing copper.

What you would do if you proceed is cut the pipe under water so you don't get wet, and fit a stopcock (thats turned on) do the nuts up and close the valve. piece of cake if ya got the nerve

Hi do it all, I am not too concerned about the legal side of the external dig as it is a private unmade road and just a grass verge and have dug plenty before, is it common for there not to be a stopcock outside your property, also is there a good chance of me gaining from the 25mm plastic from 15mm copper at the water company end?

Many thanks

Agile · 6 Oct 2006

There may well be a water co stopcock at some point perhaps at the nearest public roadway.

All trenches must be 750 mm deep!!!

You could try to make a live connection outside your property if you dont mind getting wet and cold!

What they provide outside your property is down to them!!!

Tony

doitall · 6 Oct 2006

Theres bound to be an improvement somewhere along the line.

ChrisR · 6 Oct 2006

min 750, max 1250 I think.
You can freeze the pipe if you want to connect to it "live".

They would be able to turn off at the exisiting connection to the main, and connect a new outlet "ferrule" and stop tap for your property just outside the boundary.

bster · 6 Oct 2006

min 750mm, max 1350mm (unless ducted).

diynot

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Renewing Water Main

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