Lead water main going into Neighbours house

[peca27]

Afternoon all

Have a terraced house and am getting some of the gas + water pipework corrected / redone in the cellar. As part of the works the plumber (who was giving me a quote) noticed a lead pipe going off my main water feed into the neighbour's property + said 'I aint touching that'.

Now I am gonna speak with the neighbour to clarify, but it seems that I have a main water feed coming into my cellar + it goes up towards my boiler etc. But it then tee's off into the neighbour's cellar + then the lead pipe.

I have changed sinks / taps etc before + have never had the neighbour say 'why has my water gone off?'. We then checked outside on the pavement for the main isolator + found we have one each.

So it seems we MAY have our own main feed in, but why would there be a lead pipe from my supply into his cellar?

There is no water meter in the house, just pay a flat rate.

Ideally I want to cap it off + take the lead joint out, but was wondering who's responsibility is the lead joint legally?

 

[Axel]

If it doesn' supply your neighbour any more and the branch is located in your airspace, then it's your problem, but I suggest that when capping it you also cap the tail of pipe emerging from the boundary wall to the neighbours, as who knows what is connected to what, now or in the future!