Inspection by water company

[Cypermethrin]

today we received a rather bizzare letter from our water company advising ..... "We will shortly be carrying out a survey of the water system (plumbing) at your premises. These surveys are carried out routinely..... Blah blah blah"

We have only been in the property two months and have never seen anything like this before and a bit of Googling does not throw up anything enlightening.

Apparently they will look "at external taps, white goods and irrigation systems and more"

Anyone heard or experienced anything like this before..... Thanks in advance

 

[dilalio]

Yes, it's part of the new "green" water usage police.
Are you on a meter? If not, you soon will be!
They come round and advise you on how to conserve water and restrict usage.
Then, when your meter is installed and the honeymoon period is over, they will bill you twice what you've always paid and when you complain they will remind you that you had this advisory visit "months/years ago" and therefore you are responsible for the bill as you did not adjust your usage habits!
Just like Tesco's finest used to be their standard produce

 

[big-all]

my water bills more than halved
if you have more rooms than people you should save or more people than rooms pay more

 

[Cypermethrin]

Yes, it's part of the new "green" water usage police.
Are you on a meter? If not, you soon will be!
They come round and advise you on how to conserve water and restrict usage.
Then, when your meter is installed and the honeymoon period is over, they will bill you twice what you've always paid and when you complain they will remind you that you had this advisory visit "months/years ago" and therefore you are responsible for the bill as you did not adjust your usage habits!
Just like Tesco's finest used to be their standard produce

Thanks but we are already on a meter !

The only thing we have done is have the septic tank emptied - but i dont believe waste water falls under WRAS but under other regulations.....

 

[Agile]

Why did it need emptying?

Properly operated they should run for many years without any attention!

Tony

 

[John D v2.0]

Oh year we had a call from Thames telling (not asking) us they will come and check our toilet etc, then said is Friday xx Jan at 4pm OK, I was like, you what? Then she repeated so I said sorry my toilet's fine and even if it wasn't I'd just fix it, then she gave up.
Could easily be some scam as far as I'm concerned, maybe she's been going through the bins to find phone numbers.

 

[Newboy]

today we received a rather bizzare letter from our water company advising ..... "We will shortly be carrying out a survey of the water system (plumbing) at your premises. These surveys are carried out routinely..... Blah blah blah

Are your premises commercial rather than residential?

If so it's a common check to check compliance with water regs. The majority of the attention is usually on backflow prevention. The usual 'fails' are hosepipes & bib-taps, consumer white goods (washing machines/dishwashers) being used in a commercial environment and mains-fed WC cisterns with part 1 floatvalves.

If it's the same group of inspectors that we have dealt with (done a few follow up jobs in your area) then they are easy to get on with and have quite a common sense approach to defect rectification - although all the correspondence they send out seems to promise hell and damnation!

 

[Ted777]

I've had something similar with united utilities wanting to check my water I've told them numerous times I'm not interested. I'm not on a water meter and I keep refusing one which is my right to do so. They have told me they will fit the meter and after 12 months if its more expensive they will ignore the meter and I can pay my rates again, but I doubt they would stick to that.

 

[dilalio]

If you're on a meter then they are also likely keen on checking that it hasn't been bypassed!

 

[Cypermethrin]

Why did it need emptying?

Properly operated they should run for many years without any attention!

Tony

Hi Tony - previous owners had not emptied it for around 5 years and it was full ! The septic tank has a Mantair system installed so its actually a small treatment plant which then discharges into stream. All consents in place.

Are your premises commercial rather than residential?

Out property is residential only - although back in the 1960's it was a plant growing nursery - but its use was officially transferred to residential rather than commercial - and the house name actually reflects that it was this once - so perhaps this has triggered the survey ?

If you're on a meter then they are also likely keen on checking that it hasn't been bypassed!

Good point !

I phoned them and played dumb as we had to change the proposed appointment time - apparently its a completely random inspection - not triggered by anything - "just a pipework inspection"....... its not until mid-Feb so something to look fwd to !

 

[DaveHerns]

Are you obliged to let them in your house?

 

[Cypermethrin]

Are you obliged to let them in your house?

Good question - and according to their www site - I can refuse entry but they have the right to seek a court order to gain access if I refuse .....

 

[rob_j20]

If you don't want them to visit just don't be available. They might just move on to the next in the list.

 

[oldbuffer]

Had this a couple of years ago (Thames Water). Someone in the road was discharging waste water into the rainwater drains. They checked every house in the road until they found who it was and apparently made them correct the fault.

 

[oilboffin]

A water company has more power than customs believe me.If I was you I would welcome them with open arms make tea and ask a lot of questions and keep saying you're looking for expert advice and how much you value it make em feel important and they won't be able to help themselves and thell be falling over to help you.I was Anglian water approved plumber and I did this trick and the little napoleons used to puff out their chests and do cartwheels to help.Bob